


Lockwood Part 4

by Jadders92



Series: Lockwood [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Animagus, Azkaban, Black Lake, Blood Magic, Brothers, Challenges, Chocolate, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Drinking, Elder Wand, F/M, Family, Family History, Fluff, Flying, Grief/Mourning, Gryffindor, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Forbidden Forest, Horcruxes, Hufflepuff, Leadership, Lockwood's Wolfsbane, Loss, Love, Magic, Marriage, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Monks, Mountains, Muggles, Oracles, Potions, Prophecy, Quidditch, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Soul-Searching, Souls, Spiritual, Struggle, The Sorting Hat, Tibet, Wandless Magic, War, Werewolves, Witches, Wizards, Wolf Pack, Wolfsbane, Yeti - Freeform, new home, wand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2019-06-22 09:43:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 89,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15579132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadders92/pseuds/Jadders92
Summary: Tibet. The toll of separation is growing, but maybe it will be worth it in the end. Remus's patience is put to the test, Angelina's strength is called into question. Can they survive long enough to tell each other everything they ever needed to?It'll be slow going as I’m still writing this part, but I will try and update as regularly as I can. Until then, enjoy and as always leave a comment to say hi!If you check out my Tumblr page, I’ll be making teasers for upcoming events in the series as well as aesthetics for the characters. I’d love to have your support over there!Tumblr: jadders92If you would like to contact me for any reason, the way to do so is through my email jadders92@hotmail.com





	1. The Longest Journey

It had been two weeks since Angelina left for Tibet and in that time, Remus had been extremely busy. A troll had managed to find its way into the school and the teachers were sent to deal with it, though the full moon was the following evening so Remus wasn’t exactly fighting fit. Hermione Granger had been the one to go looking for the troll and Ron and Harry had gone after her, though Remus seemed to be the only teacher who didn’t believe that. He was well aware of Harry and Ron teasing her and he disapproved greatly, he made sure they knew he knew they were lying with a look after the other teachers left to deal with the students. Remus was very disappointed in them.

His role at the school had become more complicated since Harry’s arrival, his duties to Harry as his student and to his parents as their friend was a line that was blurring by the day. Remus didn’t want to tell James and Lily about their son’s every infraction, but he also didn’t want to cause any kind of separation between them. Thank goodness Lily understood this and was a little more trusting of Remus’s decisions to leave Harry alone while he makes new friends and adjusts to his life within Hogwarts. 

Remus was aware that Dumbledore kept various things safe within Hogwarts, usually because the minister had asked him or a very old friend. Remus wasn’t surprised to hear that they were now playing host to the Philosopher’s Stone and some of the teachers had been asked to help protect it. It was his job to deter people from going to the third-floor corridor, something that hardly seemed a difficult job, until he remembered the things James used to get up to in school. He kept a closer eye on Harry after that.

Angelina had written to him a few times, she was having difficulty finding the village she had read about, ‘Dǎkāi xīnlíng’. It didn’t appear on any map, not that Remus seriously thought it would, but it was worth checking. It also didn’t appear in any book he could find about soul magic or even blood magic for that matter, so where exactly had she read about it? He wrote and asked, struggling to understand how she went from one subject to another, before wondering if the brother had anything to do with it. Remus had a sinking feeling about her whole trip.

‘I should probably start from the beginning.’ Remus sighed, sipping his tea, he had decided to go to George with his concerns and maybe shed some light on Angelina’s thinking. George was kind enough to make him some tea while they waited for Anna to arrive home. ‘You remember Dumbledore came to you and told you about how Angelina was getting bored and we had devised a plan to keep her occupied so that she would be less inclined to misbehave.’ The tired and greying Healer nodded, sipping his own tea. ‘She came to me during her second year to learn about boggarts, though when I had spoken to her about it, she claimed not to know what she feared. Of course, you know we soon found out that she feared possession more than anything… she came to me a little before she left for Tibet and said she felt like a prisoner in her own body.’ 

George took a breath of realisation.

‘She’s gone out of fear.’ George said quietly. 

‘I think so.’ Remus nodded. The two men didn’t have time to sit and take any of it in before Darren spoke from the stairway, having heard their conversation.

‘Why didn’t you stop her?’ He asked, he looked tired, like his quidditch season was taking a toll on his body that he wasn’t ready for. Remus and George watched him. ‘If you knew she was scared, why didn’t you tell her to stay?’ He was staring at Remus with an anger he’d never seen on Darren before.

‘Darren-‘ George stood up.

‘No, let him speak, let him try to explain himself. If my sister was scared and ran off to some dangerous place where she could get hurt or killed, why didn’t you tell her to wait? Or better yet, go with her?’

‘Darren that’s enough!’

‘She’s been gone nearly three weeks and all you’ve done is hide away in the castle and pretend like everything is fine!’ Darren was taking a few steps closer to Remus and it was very clear that he wasn’t himself. ‘You claim you’re in love with her, but do you know what I think? I think you’re just using her so that you can have an easy life.’ Remus stood up as well, Darren was touching a very fine nerve.

‘Darren!’ George was failing and Remus was being put in an awkward position.

‘I think this has all been very convenient for you,’ Darren’s eyes were blood shot and it wasn’t difficult to tell that he’d barely slept. ‘You’ve got what you need, Lockwood’s Wolfsbane, the Anti-Flaring and now she’s gone. Most likely she’s being killed right now, ripped open by some stray Yetis, because we all know my little sister cannot resist her curiosity getting the better of her, something that you encouraged to no end.’

‘How could you think that?’ Remus said, quietly. He could feel his hands shaking, but he needed to remain calm. ‘How could you possibly think that I am using Angelina for any reason?’

‘Oh, I think it’s very easy for you, I think this is second nature to you.’ Darren was sweating, and George was making subtle movements towards him, reaching slowly for his wand. ‘I’ve seen your kind before, the supposedly shy ones, the quiet ones, the ones who no one pays any attention to. You’re observers, you watch the people around you and figure out what use they have to you… you weren’t here, when she was unconscious and possibly dying, you weren’t here, you decided your precious teaching job was more important than the supposed love of your life. You are a fraud and I can see it now, so clearly.’ Remus could see deep into his eyes, they didn’t look like Darren’s, they were darker and somehow wilder.

Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box he kept with him at all times. Everyone had frozen. Remus carefully opened the box and made sure Darren could see his mother’s ring very clearly.

‘This was my mother’s ring and I have kept this box with me since before the World Cup,’ Remus explained carefully. ‘I have every intention of giving it to Angelina at a time when she is clear minded and sure of herself. Darren, you know full well how I feel about her, the same way you feel for Clara.’ He could see the logic playing out in Darren’s head, his eyes began showing shades of deep blue. ‘I think George, it’s clear to see that Darren cares greatly for his sister’s wellbeing, something we have in common, however, there is someone else who requires as much attention, don’t you think?’

George released a small breath. ‘Darren, when is the last time you spoke to Clara?’

It was as if a bright light had been turned on and all the darkness left Darren’s eyes, leaving only two pools of deep blue. ‘Clara.’ He whispered. Soon everything hit him all at once, making his body weaken. Remus was the first to him, quickly putting the ring back in his pocket and easing Darren’s surprisingly heavy body onto the floor. Darren had begun shaking and George did his best to tend to him, but Remus could see the pain the Healer was in.

Anna had walked in just as the two men were taking Darren upstairs to his room, she helped them as best she could until they could explain what had happened. It was Remus that she cried into, while George did his job with his son. Remus noticed a familiar smell, something light and non-intrusive, it was the same way Angelina smelled, but somehow Remus hated it on Anna. 

He stayed a little longer and did his best to explain everything to Anna and comfort her while George did his best with Darren. Remus sent a message to Clara via Floo network and hoped she would be there soon. Anna held Remus’s hand and gave a half smile through her watery eyes.

‘Thank you, Remus,’ she said, losing her voice halfway through. ‘You know Darren doesn’t mean what he said, don’t you?’ 

Remus sighed. ‘I know that it wasn’t quite him speaking, yes. It was just a little overwhelming and worrying. He tapped into some very harsh insecurities I have and I worry that it’s something he might be able to do again.’

‘You mean with Angelina?’ Anna frowned.

Remus sat forward and tried to think of the best way to say it. ‘Anna, Darren would never let anything happen to Angelina, you know this, but this isn’t the first time he’s lost control. Did Angelina tell you about the argument they had?’ Anna shook her head. ‘She had come back from the Alban Hills with those symbols and Darren was upset that she hadn’t translated them as quickly as they would have liked, from what she told me, he questioned a lot of things that she questions about herself. Anna I’m not saying that you and George have done anything wrong as parents, you’ve been put in a very difficult position, but I wonder if more can be done.’

‘Like what?’ It wasn’t a snap, or even defensive, it seemed Anna really was looking for a suggestion.

‘I have no idea,’ Remus half smiled. ‘But maybe we can start by looking at the prophecy? Maybe we can start trying to actively help Angelina in her research? I’m not an expert in any of this and George will know more, but all I know is that what we are all doing right now, is simply not enough.’

Anna nodded and thought for a moment. ‘I always thought you were wise beyond your years Remus,’ that pulled a much more genuine smile from him. ‘I’ve said it before, but I am glad that Angelina found you.’

Remus didn’t stay long after that and left before Clara arrived, he had a lot of thinking to do. He arrived back at the castle soaked through from the rain, but a part of him didn’t mind. He kept his hand in his pocket and his fingers curled around the ring box. For some reason he took it out and looked down at the beautiful ring his mother used to wear. It was simple, nothing fancy and nothing outrageous, silver with a small ruby on top. It wasn’t much, but it was all Remus had to offer.

He wasn’t sure why he started crying, but he missed Angelina and she was the only thing on his mind.

‘Sir?’ Remus’s head snapped around to see Nathan behind him.

‘Nathan, shouldn’t you be in bed?’ Remus quickly composed himself.

‘Yeah, I was just walking Millie back.’ His cheeks lit up pink.

‘Well, you’d best hurry back up to the tower.’ Remus suddenly realised he still had the ring out and began putting it away.

‘Did she say no?’ 

‘What?’

‘Your girlfriend? That’s an engagement ring, did she say no?’ 

Remus wasn’t exactly in the mood for entertaining anyone at the late hour, but Nathan had always been more mature than most. Remus titled his head, indicating Nathan should follow him to Gryffindor Tower.

‘Truthfully, I haven’t asked her yet.’ Remus found himself saying. He took his wand out and began drying his clothes. ‘She’s still in Tibet.’

‘When will she be back?’

Remus sighed. ‘Whenever she decides Tibet is no longer the place she needs to be or if there is nothing further to explore.’

Nathan’s eyes widened. ‘You mean she just goes to these places and you have no idea of when you’ll see her again?’

‘Yes,’ Remus half laughed. ‘That is pretty much how it works.’

‘I don’t think I could do that.’ Nathan shook his head, his messy dark hair swaying as he did. ‘If Millie went away, I’d have to know all the details, where she is, when she’s coming back, if I could go with her.’

Remus couldn’t help his laugh. ‘Well, young love is often slightly obsessive like that. You get used to it over time.’

‘Obsessive?’ 

‘It’s new and exciting, it’s an exploration and often people your age cannot resist the temptation to explore constantly.’ Remus wasn’t exactly sure why he was talking about love with his sixth year, but he didn’t seem to mind it too much.

Nathan seemed to be pondering a question. ‘Sir, is it too forward to ask how long you and Angelina have been in love?’

Remus laughed again. ‘That is a very forward question, one that, I’m afraid doesn’t have a simple answer. No, Angelina and I are not a conventional pairing, never have been.’

‘Because of your condition?’

Remus stopped in his tracks and lost all the breath in his lungs. Nathan just watched him, frowning slightly. ‘Nathan, I… how…’

‘I have an uncle with the same condition, he knows Alfred Hughes, the watchmaker and when he mentioned someone called Remus, I just put two and two together. No one else knows, I promise. I haven’t told anyone.’

Remus managed to gain his motor function back and swallowed, guiding Nathan into the DADA classroom just down the corridor. ‘Well, thank you for bringing this to my attention.’

‘I’m not going to tell anyone sir, you’re the best teacher we have and you should hear how some of the other-‘ Nathan stopped mid-sentence. ‘People like you, talk about you, about your life. I think it gives them hope. You certainly give me hope.’

Remus let his breath go in relief. 

‘Professor, I want to be a Healer, I want to help people with the condition, I want to help my uncle, he’s so lonely and he’s always miserable when the time comes, he can’t afford the potion, but I figure if I get a good enough job, he won’t have to.’ Remus could see such goodness in Nathan, for all of his misbehaviour and humour, his heart was in the right place. 

‘Thank you, Nathan.’ Remus smiled. ‘I feel sure you will make a fine Healer.’

‘I hope so, need the grades first I suppose.’

‘You’ll be fine,’ Remus said, matter of factly. ‘Just keep working hard and don’t let your personal life interfere too much. Your studies come first and my door is always open if you’re struggling with anything.’ Remus could see that there was something bothering him and readied himself to answer Nathan’s questions. He took his cloak and jacket off, flinging them over a desk and invited Nathan to sit with him, in case it was a long conversation. ‘If you have concerns about your safety or my ability to-‘

‘Why would I be concerned?’ Nathan frowned. His brown eyes scanning Remus’s face. ‘Surely if you were a risk, you wouldn’t be here?’

‘Well, precautions are being taken, but it’s never one hundred percent safe.’ Remus tried to make him see. ‘As long as you stay away from this classroom during the full moon, there’s nothing you should be worried about.’

‘You change in here?’

‘Well, in my room.’ Remus suddenly thought on how strange this conversation was. ‘I keep it locked, put protection charms up on both the classroom door and the corridor outside, just to deter people from coming anywhere near here.’

‘That sounds like a lot of precautions.’

‘Unfortunately, it’s necessary.’ Remus said, a little sadly. 

‘But anyway, that wasn’t what I wanted to ask.’ Remus frowned at him. ‘Look, this is a little humiliating for me to ask, but it’s not like I can talk to my friends about this stuff, but I just wanted to ask your advice about Millie.’

‘What about her? I thought you were getting along?’ Remus cringed a little as his phrasing, but Nathan didn’t seem to mind.

‘No, we are, I just… she’s really great, I know it seems a bit soon to be saying it, but I think she might be the one and you managed to get Angelina Lockwood to be your girlfriend, who really is hot, I know I’m not supposed to say that, but she is and no offense but she could get James Potter or Gilderoy Lockhart if she really wanted.’ Remus laughed and felt his cheeks burn pink. ‘How do I keep Millie the way you’ve kept Angelina?’ 

Remus took a breath and could see that it was a genuine question. Nathan really did love Millie. ‘Well…’ Remus began and realised he had no idea where to start. ‘I’m afraid, I don’t have the answers, like I said, Angelina and I work a little bit differently to everyone else… I suppose that’s what you need to figure out, what works best for you and Millie and can you build a life around that. Angelina often leaves for a few months at a time to explore new places and research new things and I stay here and teach bright young things like yourself.’

‘Months?!’ Nathan exclaimed, making Remus chuckle slightly. ‘How can you be without her for months?’

Remus sighed. ‘Patience. The woman you love should have all of it. Angelina is a little younger than me, so she needs the time and space to do some things on her own, something you and Millie need to allow each other to do, to grow into the people you are trying to be, to accept each other for any flaws or mistakes you make and build something stronger from it.’

Nathan thought for a moment, Remus wasn’t sure why he felt a degree of comfort talking about Angelina to him, but he could see that Nathan desperately wanted the answers for himself and not for any malicious reasons.

‘Is that why you haven’t asked her to marry you yet? Because you’re waiting for her to make her mistakes?’

Remus chuckled. ‘There are a lot of reasons why I haven’t asked her yet, most of them very personal, but waiting for her to make mistakes isn’t one of them. She’s made plenty and I’ve never thought any less of her, I’ve made mine and she doesn’t think any less of me… my only advice for you is exactly what I said in class, hard work, patience, commitment and a sense of humour.’

Nathan smiled and looked down at his hands. ‘I hope she says yes professor and I hope you make each other happy.’

‘As do I.’ Remus nodded. ‘Now, let’s get you back to the Tower before anyone else finds you out of bed at this hour.’

Remus walked him back up to the Tower and they spoke a little about his studies and no more about their love lives, but Remus had a good feeling the subject would come up again. He finally laid his head down to rest and dreaded the next day of classes.

 

It was cold when I first arrived and I didn’t mind in the slightest. My long black coat kept me warm enough and there were plenty of small settlements between myself and the base of Manaslu. I had asked a few of the locals about the village I was trying to find and no one seemed to know anything. 

I rested in a small settlement close to the base of the mountain and the next day I would make the trip, but for now, I needed sleep. 

 

‘Why are we here? Where is my brother?’ He didn’t stop screaming at me, he made my bones ache in an effort to slow me down, but I knew it was just an illusion and pressed on anyway. ‘Angie, you cannot make this trip, my brother is in distress, we must go to him.’

‘I’m not going back, we’ve come all this way.’ I said as I began laying myself down onto the soft mattress on the floor.

‘You won’t find what you’re looking for.’

‘You don’t know that.’

The brother was silent as my eyes closed and I knew the night would be filled with nightmares. 

 

The sun shone through the cracks in the window and I felt my body aching in every joint and bone. The brother had been busy. I took a breath and tried to focus on Remus, the way his hands moved over my body and relaxed my muscles, it was enough to get me out of bed and send me on my way to the base of the mountain. I thanked the locals for their hospitality and listened to their suggestions on different routes to take so as to avoid the bulk of the yetis. 

I got on my broom with some difficulty and sped off in the direction they had suggested. The cold wind was cutting into my skin and I knew I would need to stop soon. The whole place was beautiful, covered in snow and clear skies, the yetis wouldn’t come out during the day as they could easily be seen, but I knew they were there, watching me. 

I finally found the village at the bottom of the mountain, it was filled with people watching me curiously. Families of witches and wizards, all of them curious about the stranger who had arrived from apparently nowhere. 

I wandered up to the small market and carefully approached one of the merchants, selling what looked to be various animals in jars.

‘Excuse me? Erm… Dǎkāi xīnlíng?’ The merchant shook his head and I began asking various other merchants the same question, but no one seemed to have any clue of what I was talking about.

‘You see, it’s a myth.’ The brother hissed and I tried to just ignore him.

It was a solid three hours of asking around the market place, pubs and public areas, but no one knew anything. I eventually settled in one of the small pubs for the night and wrote to Remus as I had done every night.

 

Remus,

I’m still searching. I haven’t found the village yet, but I have made it to the base of Manaslu, the yetis haven’t managed to eat me just yet, but I imagine their curiosity is peaking the more time I spend here. 

I know you want me to come home soon, but I can’t leave until I’ve found what I’m looking for or at least be certain it doesn’t exist. I’m sorry, but I know you understand this.

I’m currently resting in a pub in a wizarding village, someone here must know something, I’ll try again tomorrow.

I hope you are well and I hope Harry is doing well in his studies.

Yours

Angelina

 

I sighed and closed the book, I just wanted to sleep, but it seemed that sleep was something that the brother had no interest in. He just didn’t stop talking. 

I watched the people in the pub as they went about their routine and the barman kept his eye on me. I could see a curious figure out of the corner of my eye, a monk. He wore red robes and was sitting with someone dressed entirely in black with a black hood, I couldn’t see his face, but the monk kept looking over at me. I decided not to approach them just yet, but it looked like they could have been the kind of people who could have led me to where I needed to go.


	2. Bottom of the Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, in case you guys are wondering a bit more about what my version of the wizarding world looks like, check out my tumblr and some of the pieces I've created. There's also a small tribute to Jack for anyone who misses him as much as I do!
> 
> https://jadders92.tumblr.com/

It had been another week since arriving at the base of the mountain and the monk and the man in black had yet to make another appearance. I hadn’t heard from Darren yet, but Remus was keeping me up to date on anything that was going on. Harry was doing well in quidditch just like James and was getting in about as much trouble. I was happy to hear that Remus was okay as well, he wasn’t sure about the new teacher Quirrell as he made Snape nervous, but I couldn’t say anything either way.

I had written to Darren a few times to see how he was, but no reply came, he must have been busy with quidditch. 

‘You’ve been asking about Dǎkāi xīnlíng.’ A voice came from just behind where I was sitting in the pub, I turned to see the hooded man, he was keeping his hot tea close to his body, his face still covered. ‘You are looking for the sacred village.’

‘Yes, can you take me there?’ 

The hooded figure shook his head. ‘No, you must find your own way. Travellers on the path to enlightenment may only find what they seek, if they are worthy of the secrets within.’ His voice was scratchy and low, I wasn’t exactly sure whether I should have trusted him.

‘Who are you?’

‘I am the guide, I am the one who allows the travellers to find Dǎkāi xīnlíng.’ 

I looked around the pub and no one seemed to be paying us any attention, so I decided to move myself to sit opposite him.

‘Will you allow me to find it?’

I thought I heard him laughing quietly. ‘That is the wrong question.’

‘What’s the right question?’

‘Will you allow yourself to find the answers you seek?’

For a moment it was as if the hooded figure could see the brother inside me, like he could see him as clearly as I saw him sitting in front of me. 

‘I have questions that I need answers to.’

‘Many have questions, many cannot allow themselves to find the answers. What makes you different?’

I didn’t have the answer, I didn’t understand the question. I wasn’t different, or was I?

‘A conflict.’ The hooded man nodded and once again seemed to look straight through me. ‘To make the journey to Dǎkāi xīnlíng, your mind must be free of conflict, doubt and fear.’

‘That’s impossible, you can never be without fear.’

‘Spoken like one who is unworthy of Dǎkāi xīnlíng.’ The Guide was angry, that much was obvious, he stood up and without another word, left the pub. I was left alone.

 

His crisp blue eyes fluttered open, it was a miserable November day and Darren ached the same way he ached every day. He could hear the echoes of screaming the same way he did every day, his mind adjusted and the screams became a low level ringing, the same as it did every day. Every day. 

Darren’s room hadn’t changed much in the years he had slept there, his Quidditch trophies and medals scattered over his walls and his most prized brooms mounted higher up. His room was just down the hall from Angie’s and he liked it that way, he could keep an eye on her, just in case.

He turned his head and felt a warm body next to his, Clara.

‘Morning.’ He mumbled and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead as her big dark eyes slowly began to open. As soon as they were open, he gave her a small smile and got out of bed. ‘I didn’t realise you came over.’ Darren said, sitting on the bed and stretching his body in every way that felt better.

‘You don’t remember seeing me last night?’ Her light, airy voice was like music to his ears.

‘No, why, should I have done?’ He chuckled and turned slightly to see Clara frowning slightly. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘You… you had another episode.’ She confessed and Darren immediately stood up, wandering to put a t shirt on to avoid the conversation he’d been avoiding for well over a year now. ‘Darren-‘

‘Was anyone hurt?’

It took Clara a moment to respond. ‘No, but I think you owe Remus another apology.’

‘Remus?’ Darren turned and it was his turn to frown. ‘Angie is still in Tibet; shouldn’t he be at the school teaching kids? What was he doing here?’

‘He came because he cares for Angie’s family.’ Clara almost leaped out of bed in frustration, throwing her jumper and trousers on. ‘He’s a caring man who wants to make sure the people he loves are okay.’

Darren chuckled to himself. ‘He may be a caring man, but he’s not-‘ Darren suddenly stopped himself, he sighed and grabbed his jeans.

‘He’s not what?’ Clara demanded. He hated it when she got like this, overreacting to every little thing that left his mouth.

Darren took another breath and zipped up his jeans. ‘Look, I know you and him are close, but I’m starting to wonder if he’s the right fit for Angie.’

Clara froze and pierced his stare with her own. 

‘I’m not saying he’s a bad man, I would never say that-‘

‘Then what are you saying?’ Clara demanded again.

‘I’m saying that… I’m just starting to notice patterns with him.’ Darren tried to explain himself, he carefully stepped towards Clara and lowered his voice to a much more calming state. ‘Every time Angie gets hurt-‘

‘Remus is the first one there.’

‘Yes, and that’s not what I’m questioning,’ Darren kept Clara focused on him and took another step towards her. ‘It’s the times when she’s unconscious… when you were at St Mungo’s I was there every waking moment, making sure you recovered, making sure that if you woke up, I was the first person you saw and I did that because I love you. Clara, I love you so much and I couldn’t stand it if you woke up in a strange place without me around to help you. Remus doesn’t do that for Angie, he wasn’t there after the World Cup, when she was in Bulgaria he came back early and left her there on her own. She was scared before going to Tibet and he knew that, so why didn’t he try to stop her?’

Clara thought for a moment. ‘Remus would have had his reasons, he always has a reason.’

‘And what if that reason is because he doesn’t love Angie after all?’ Darren held Clara’s hands in his, trying to make her see. ‘I hate to say it, I really hate to say it, but I’ve seen people like Remus before, quiet, shy, intelligent. They always have an agenda and I worry for my sister. Clara, I worry so much for my sister, you know what she means to me, she’s my best friend and I can’t let anyone hurt her.’ Darren was close to tears and Clara immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. 

Darren loved the way she felt against him, her strong and slender body fit in his broad and bulky frame so perfectly. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there, holding each other, but Darren would have stayed there forever, had a noise from in the kitchen not interrupted them.

Darren frowned and grabbed his wand, keeping Clara back behind him. He carefully manoeuvred himself down the stairs and peered into the kitchen. False alarm. His father had spilled hot water on the floor and was in the middle of clearing it up. He was muttering to himself, clearly annoyed at the whole thing.

‘Dad?’ Darren carefully stepped into the kitchen and approached his father. 

‘Oh Darren,’ he plastered a fake smile to his face. ‘I didn’t realise you were up already. Did you get enough sleep?’ His voice was shaky and nervous.

‘Yeah, it was fine.’ Darren smiled at his father, sympathetically. It was hard to understand how difficult everything had been for him and Darren only wanted to help. ‘Are you alright?’

‘Yes, yes, fine.’ His father quickly charmed the boiling pot back onto the stove and indicated the table. ‘Another letter from Angie, she’ll be in the fire tonight, you should speak to her, give her some words of comfort.’

Darren paused for a moment, the only sound was the faint ringing in his ears. 

‘Dad… what happened last night?’ Darren watched his father, hunched over the steaming pot, apparently no real concern for his own safety, until Darren spoke again. ‘Dad, please, tell me what happened.’

‘You need to speak with Angie,’ he said firmly, facing his son with an anger Darren had seen more of in recent times. ‘You need to apologise to Remus and this time you need to mean it. His and Angie’s relationship is none of your concern, if she has chosen him to love then he is worthy of her affections and you have absolutely no right to say otherwise. You will go to the school today and you will apologise to Remus for your actions, you will come home, you will speak with you sister and you will tell her what you have done. No arguments. Am I understood?’

Darren swallowed, feeling the tears swell behind his eyes. ‘Yes, sir.’

His father sighed, his eyes softened ever so slightly and he rounded the table to embrace his son. ‘Darren, my boy, my strong boy, I wish I could take this back, I wish I could take it all back. I never wanted this for my children.’

Darren wrapped his strong arms around his father and prayed for forgiveness, they cried together for a while, father and son, for just a while they were each other’s strength. 

Clara soon left to get to work and Darren promised her he would see Remus and apologise, though the look in his eyes let her know that his worries still stood. Darren and his father had breakfast together, they watched the rain together and they talked about old times.

Darren made good on his promise and just after lunch he made his way to the castle to see Remus. The rain had stopped and Darren sucked in the smell of the wet grass, the familiar courtyard had a new group of students entertaining, soaked through, not caring about the dampness of the stone around them. 

A few students recognised Darren immediately and before he made it to the DADA classroom, a whole group of them had cornered him, asking for autographs.

‘That’s enough.’ A strangely hoarse and authoritative voice called from just up the corridor. The man himself was wandering through the crowds of students with such ease, the way Darren remembered when he was at Hogwarts. ‘I believe Mr Lockwood is here on business and would rather have his privacy. Besides, most of you have studying to do.’ Remus half smiled and the students soon dispersed. ‘Darren.’ He nodded and gestured for Darren to follow him into the empty classroom.

Remus strode up to his desk, immediately throwing a few papers on top of an already increasing pile of work. He looked much healthier than he had done when Darren sat as a student in the classroom, much more alive and filled with energy. Remus sighed and threw his cloak over his chair.

‘What can I do for you Darren?’ He asked, tidying away a few things and finally leaning back against his desk to face Darren with his arms folded.

‘I… I just wanted to apologise.’ Darren almost mumbled, for the first time since he could remember, he couldn’t find his words. ‘I haven’t been myself lately and… well, I… I shouldn’t have said those things to you.’ 

It was a painful few moments between Darren’s last words and Remus sighing, his gaze drifting to the window. The Dark Arts professor slowly stood up properly and took a few steps towards Darren.

‘Darren, I am one of the very few people in this world who know what you are going through. I won’t claim to understand the way you feel, but I do at least have some basic inside knowledge.’ Remus took another breath. ‘I will tolerate most things, I’m a patient man, I believe in peaceful solutions and alternative approaches to negotiation… but the one thing I will not tolerate above anything is anyone who dares question my love for Angelina.’

‘Remus, I-‘

‘How dare you care to presume,’ his voice was menacingly quiet. ‘How dare you assume that I would use her for her intellect, I have spent nearly four years of my life caring for Angelina, I have spent four years helping her grow into the person she wants to be, I have spent that time sacrificing my own needs to serve hers and if you dare to think that I am unprepared or unwilling to spend the remainder of my life giving everything I have to ensure her happiness, then you and I will find ourselves in many more of these conversations and I cannot guarantee that I will exert quite this much control.’

Darren swallowed. He could feel a rage building inside of him and did everything he could to keep it in check.

‘I can only apologise for my actions last night Remus,’ Darren could hear his voice faltering. ‘Please understand that I wasn’t myself.’

Remus took a breath and glanced to the floor momentarily. ‘That is something I can understand.’ He said and Darren felt the tension ease slightly. ‘I presume you have no memory of last night either?’

‘None.’ Darren admitted. Remus wandered back up to lean against his desk again and Darren found himself sitting in his old seat, watching his old professor. 

‘I worry that what we are seeing in you is the future for Angelina… if there is any way to stop it, we need to know.’ Remus suddenly caught Darren’s expression. ‘I don’t mean to say you’re keeping anything, but any information helps and you know how her mind works.’ 

Darren found himself smiling slightly. ‘You could talk about the weather and she would have an idea for some new fertiliser for her plants.’

‘Exactly.’ Remus breathed. It was another moment before he spoke. ‘You accused me of something last night and while I understand you are going through a difficult time, I can’t help but be bothered by it.’

‘Remus, whatever it was, I didn’t mean it.’

‘You might not, but everything you have said to me whilst having these episodes so far has been a logical perspective to have, particularly if you are someone on the outside looking in.’ Remus sighed. ‘You accused me of taking…’ It was hard to watch Remus in pain over something he’d said. ‘I have never and will never take advantage of her in anyway.’ It was said with such venom and Darren suddenly understood his pain. ‘I would never hurt her like that, I couldn’t.’ 

‘I know.’ Darren stood in an effort to comfort Remus. ‘I know you wouldn’t… I can’t offer an explanation for why I said it. I know you love her. I really do.’

Remus took a slow controlled breath, Darren could see that he was still angry over the accusation.

‘Look, I’m clearly not helping things by staying here, I’ll leave you in peace.’ Darren began turning to the door. ‘Just know that as much as you love her, she is still my sister and I will do everything to protect her, I’ll question anyone who comes near her. I love her as well.’

Remus nodded, though it was unconvincing. Darren didn’t stay any longer, he offered a half smile and left his old professor in peace.

 

Remus watched Darren leave his classroom, he tried to remain calm for as long as he could before he couldn’t control himself any longer. Remus found a new strength to pick up the nearest desk to him and launch it across the room, he felt better and kept going until several desks were upturned and broken. How dare Darren accuse him of such horrendous acts! How dare anyone think he didn’t love Angelina with every part of his being! How dare Darren think for a single second that he wouldn’t give his life for her! He would give everything to see her smile, to see her laugh, to see her happy even at the cost of his own happiness. He knew that Angelina wouldn’t want that though, he knew she would only be truly happy if they both were and so that was what Remus had always worked towards.

‘Sir?’ A voice came from the door to Remus’s classroom. 

He looked up from one of the broken desks, panting to see his fifth years edging into the classroom. Remus took a deep calming breath and looked around at what he had done, raking his hand through his sandy hair. He began to wander towards his own desk which somehow managed to remain standing and flicked his wand to repair the broken desks behind him, sending them back into their original position.

‘Take your seats,’ Remus was still a little out of breath, he looked down at his hands to see that his knuckles had been scraped badly. ‘Turn to chapter sixty-three and we will begin.’ 

He could hear the students doing as they were told behind him, though their movements seemed slower than he would have liked. Remus quickly found a spare rag and wrapped it around his hand, taking a few more deep breaths before starting his first lesson of the afternoon.

 

Angelina,

Please tell me you are safe, that you are not risking yourself for any reason. I presume you have already spoken with Darren, if you have any questions then we can of course discuss them.

I pride myself on being the man you can turn to when you are in need, I pride myself on being yours entirely, but tonight I need you to be there for me, I need you to tell me that I am not failing you, that I am not hurting you. I need your reassurance that I am worthy of you. Please Angelina, I need you.

Yours always

Remus

 

I stared down at the writing, I had never thought Remus was ever one to doubt his worth to me. Maybe this was something I needed to learn about, maybe I wasn’t doing my job.

I knelt down close to the fire in my room and waited for him to appear.

‘Angelina.’ His voice sighed through the flames. 

‘Remus tell me what you need.’ 

He smiled and sighed. ‘I just needed to hear your voice. Your brother is getting worse, he had another episode last night when I was visiting your mother.’

‘Wait, what do you mean another episode? Since when has he been having episodes? What kind? Like blackouts?’ I crossed my legs and shuffled closer, how could Darren not have told me about this? Remus seemed unsure for a moment.

‘Darren has been having episodes of erratic behaviour, twice I have been there when he has not taken kindly to my presence.’ Remus took a breath. ‘I visited your mother last night because I heard she had had a tough week and I thought I would attempt to comfort her while your father was working. However, Darren came in and threw around some accusations, of course, he didn’t mean what he was saying, he wasn’t himself, but they were hurtful all the same.’

‘What kind of accusations?’ I frowned. My question seemed to pain Remus more than I thought it would, he took a long few moments to compose himself. 

‘Angelina,’ his voice shook. ‘He… I would never hurt you, you know that don’t you?’

‘Of course, I know that.’

‘I can’t bear the thought of anyone thinking that I could do that to you, that I could… I have done everything I can to ensure you are happy and comfortable and I can’t let anyone take that away from me. Please, Angelina, come home. I need you.’

I didn’t know what to say, I couldn’t stand to see Remus like this, I would love to have come home and wrapped myself in his arms, kissed him repeatedly and allowed him all the time in the world to feel more like himself again. But I was finally making progress in Tibet, I was finally closer to finding Dǎkāi xīnlíng and putting an end to the brothers hold on me.

‘Remus, I want to, I want to be there with you, I want to give you everything you need right now, but it took me three weeks to get here, the portkeys aren’t that regular.’ I could see his disappointment. ‘Please believe me that I want to be there, but by the time I make it back you might not feel like this and I would have wasted a month travelling. You’re okay, I promise, you’re going to be fine and I will come home and I will give you everything you need, but I can’t do that if the brother is still inside me. We can’t have a life together if I’m not the woman you deserve.’ I could feel myself losing a few tears and I really didn’t want to.

Remus was quiet for a while, I knew he hated where we were, I knew he needed me, I needed him just as much.

‘You’re more than I deserve. I understand,’ he finally said and took a deep breath. ‘Tell me about Tibet, met any Yetis yet?’

I let a small smile go, I knew he was just trying to lighten the mood a little, so I told him about everything I had seen, I had written to him a few times, but he didn’t know about the guide or the monk and this seemed like the opportune time to ask for help.

‘…what do you think it means?’ I finished with what the guide had said to me and Remus thought for a while.

‘I think this is something you need to work out alone.’ He sighed. ‘Angelina, this hasn’t just been a research trip, this is a spiritual journey you are on and, as much as I hate to say it, one you must walk alone… but let me say this: you went there out of fear, you got scared over losing control of your body, of being possessed and you need to be careful that that fear does not consume you. Think about the other reasons you are there, what are you there to find, what are you prepared to face and can you accept these two things as being the same. This is yet another puzzle that cannot be worked out in your head alone, it takes something more.’

‘My heart?’ I frowned. The last time Remus had said that, it was to do with my working out how I felt about him, it was a puzzle, a set of pieces that required more than knowledge to put together, it required my heart.

‘Instinct, I’ve often found, can be a worthy replacement for intellect. What does your heart tell you?’

I thought for a moment. 

‘If you have to think, it’s not instinct. Thought allows room for questions and questions lead to self-doubt. From what you have already said, the guide will not accept these things as worthy qualities. Try answering the question with the first thing that comes to mind, treat it the same as a duel, the attack is the question, the answer is the defence.’

‘I can do that.’ I nodded.

‘Good, then I feel sure you will find Dǎkāi xīnlíng. Stay focussed and stay safe.’ Remus implored. 

‘Thank you and I’m sorry I couldn’t be there when you needed me. I really wish I could just come home.’ 

Remus smiled. ‘No, I am sorry for trying to distract you on your path, but you handled it wonderfully. I will see you when you are home, whenever that may be.’

I sighed. ‘I have a feeling, I’ll not be home for Christmas.’

Remus smiled and let out a small laugh. ‘No, no I think not, but that is okay, everyone will understand.’

‘I’ll be thinking of you, missing you.’ 

‘I miss you too.’ Remus smiled that wonderful smile through the flames. ‘I’d best go, it must be late over there and I have some work to catch up on. I love you Angelina, stay safe for me.’

‘I will, I promise.’ I smiled and watched him slowly fade away.

I took a shaky breath and quickly wiped away any tears that remained on my face. I felt like a failure, Remus needed me and I couldn’t be there. I tried so hard to convince myself that I was making myself better for him, I tried desperately to believe it, but no matter what, the brother was always there to distract me.

‘Well, I suppose you’ve shown your true colours.’ He hissed. 

‘Shut up.’ I leaned against the post of the bed and tried to take a few deep breaths.

‘He will never understand why you stayed, he will not know why you left him in his time of need.’

‘Stop.’

‘He needed you and you told him no.’

‘Stop.’

‘He will never forgive you.’

‘Just stop!’

‘Why should I? Why should I help you when you will not help me?!’

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

‘I will kill my brother, Angie, with or without your help, I will kill him.’

‘Shut up!’ I screamed until my throat hurt. I could hear a ringing in my ears and closed my eyes taking a series of deeper breaths. ‘Tomorrow I will find the way to Dǎkāi xīnlíng and I will find a way to save me and my brother.’

‘You will fail.’ The words were said so quietly I couldn’t help but think it might not have been the brother saying them, but rather my own doubts seeping into view.

 

The cold air was biting against my skin, winter was fast approaching and the small village was collecting supplies to see them through. It was a peaceful setting and I wondered if what I was seeing was just part of every day life here. The people all seemed to be content with each other, they knew each other, they helped each other, and no one seemed to find anything to be upset about. 

I hugged my long black coat tighter to my body and wandered out to explore the surrounding area a little. There wasn’t a lot of snow on the ground just yet, but I could see snow caking the mountain peak. Something told me I needed to climb the mountain, it didn’t look like a recommended hill climb, but I had a good feeling that I would find Dǎkāi xīnlíng along the way.

I caught the briefest glimpse of the guide walking quickly out of the village and before I could leave in the other direction, I sprinted after him. Maybe he would lead me to where I needed to go. I ran as fast as I could for as long as I could before I finally lost him, I was right at the very bottom of Manaslu and the intimidating mountain towered over me, I felt sick looking up at it. 

I needed to find this place, I needed to make the climb, maybe it was at the summit, maybe it was a hidden passageway that I needed to locate, maybe all I needed was my intellect. No, no, that’s not what Remus said, some things take more than intelligence, some things take something more.

‘Why don’t I understand?’ I sighed and covered my face in frustration. ‘I just want to understand. How do I find enlightenment? Please, Remus, help me.’ I could hear a distant growling and uncovered my face, turning in the direction I heard the sound, this was not the place I needed to be right now. I needed to get back to the village for safety.


	3. The Climb of Manaslu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempers rise and everyone worries a little more about Angie's trip.

Darren had been gliding around the pitch, James Potter winking at him and both chasers waving to the crowd and taking in the roar of their fans. The game had been a draw, it was a tough match and Darren felt the aches and pains flaring in his body. He shook hands with James and they both flew down towards the changing rooms.

‘Good game, mate.’ James clapped him on the shoulder. ‘You training for the next World Cup already?’ 

‘Never too soon to prepare, I reckon.’

Both men laughed and got changed, heading out to greet the fans waiting outside the grounds. Darren was always happy to sign for his fans and even joked around with a few of them, he was a fantastic personality for the public eye. 

‘Twenty-five years of age and all you can do is be the best,’ James laughed behind him. ‘I have to say, I am in admiration Darren Lockwood. We’ll get the Cup next time. Any time you want to train, let me know and I’ll be there in a heartbeat.’ James winked and wandered off away from where Darren was still signing.

James Potter had always been a hero of his, Darren heard about what he had done during the war, he heard about the struggles he faced and of course, he knew about the record James had set during his years at Hogwarts, having broken it. The idea of training with him, one on one was a dream come true, he couldn’t wait to train the next day with a new spring in his step.

Darren quickly finished with the remaining crowd and turned to spot Clara smiling at him. He wasn’t quite sure what had come over him, Darren strode up to her, sliding his fingers through her silky, black hair and placed an intense kiss to her perfectly red lips.

‘Today has been a good day.’ He whispered against her. Clara smiled, laughing a little at him. He took her hand and waved to anyone still there, before disapparating home. 

 

The dinner table was quiet, Anna had invited Remus over for Sunday lunch and everyone was on edge. Nothing had happened as of yet, Darren was being kept occupied by Clara and George was keeping his watchful eye on his son, but the one thing that had yet to be mentioned was Angelina. Remus had a good feeling that as soon as someone even referenced her it would be a tipping point for Darren and he may well have another episode.

‘So, how is Harry doing at school? Is he adjusting?’ Anna asked, she sat just next to Remus with George at the head of the table and Darren and Clara opposite Remus.

‘Much the same as his father,’ Remus admitted with a small smile, the full moon was in a few days and he was feeling a little worn down. ‘So, I am both in a state of nostalgia and exhaustion.’ Anna laughed politely. ‘He’s adjusting very well, though getting in trouble more than I think we would like.’

‘And what about this new teacher? Quirrell?’

Remus shifted uncomfortably. ‘He’s… an interesting man, clearly someone who has not led the easiest life I feel.’ Anna could see straight through his polite comments, he wasn’t exactly sure about Quirrell, neither was Snape and every teacher was hyper aware of that fact. ‘I heard there has been some progress made in the Aurors department? Something about a way of helping those that have experienced trauma?’

‘Yes, actually, St Mungo’s has co-ordinated to send some form of therapist to work with some of us who have trouble getting back to our day-to-day lives.’ Anna smiled and placed her hand, delicately over George’s, who was still keeping an eye on everyone. ‘It’s just someone to talk to, you know, help us deal with things.’

Remus nodded and sipped his butterbeer slowly. There was a tense moment of silence coating the table. ‘I saw your picture in the sports section of the Daily Prophet yesterday.’ He smiled at Clara whose cheeks turned a little pink. 

Everyone was watching as Darren slid his arm around the back of her chair and watched Remus like a hawk. Clara seemed not to notice anything.

‘Yes, well, I didn’t want to interrupt the fans’ time with him.’ She smiled and there was something a bit different about it, like it was a new smile reserved only for Darren. Remus felt his brows knit together for a fraction of a second, but he smiled all the same.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Ruben came flying into the kitchen, dropping a small stack of mail next to George, who slipped on his glasses to read who it was from.

George cleared his throat and gave a quick smile to the table, before standing up and taking the letters over to the kitchen counter to read. There was a silent agreement amongst everyone else that the letter was from Angelina. No one spoke a word until George sat down.

‘She’s safe.’ He said and quickly tried to change the subject. ‘I hear from Lily that James has offered to train with you when he gets a chance, Darren?’

Everyone’s attention turned to Darren who seemed to have grown slightly tense for a moment. ‘Yes… mentioned it just after the game on Friday.’ Remus knew that the rest of the table might have missed it, but he distinctly heard a small growl sitting underneath Darren’s usual tone of voice. He couldn’t take any of what Darren might have been thinking, his mood just wasn’t tolerant enough to accept it in silence.

‘I think I should be getting back to the castle.’ Remus said, quietly. He made a move to stand up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. 

‘Remus, please,’ Anna stood with him. ‘There’s no need.’

‘Anna, I think we can all see where this is heading and in my current state I can’t see it ending well.’ Remus was never cruel to Anna, he considered her to be family and a good woman, well worth his time, but this was a subject he was finding it hard to budge on. 

‘He’s right, he should leave.’ Darren suddenly said, Remus could see his eyes struggling to maintain their blue and Remus couldn’t help but feel for Darren. ‘I’m sorry, but he needs to leave… I can’t… I can’t do this again.’ Darren’s eyes began filling with tears and that seemed to be the deciding factor.

Remus put his jacket on and picked up his cloak, George stood and saw him to the door while Anna and Clara tried their best to comfort Darren.

‘Remus, I am sorry.’ George said as they made their way outside. George quickly picked up his long grey coat and wrapped it around his shoulders. ‘Darren is…’ The greying Healer sighed heavily. ‘I can’t make an excuse for him, I’m just sorry.’

‘I know, I don’t expect you to.’ Remus nodded and adjusted his cloak so that it curled tighter around his tired body. 

‘I would like to give you something though,’ George quickly looked back into the house, no one was watching him. ‘I can’t keep this here anymore, it’s too dangerous, I think it would be better in yours and Dumbledore’s care.’ He pulled out a small white orb, no bigger than a marble and handed it carefully to Remus. ‘That is the Lockwood’s Prophecy, I have no idea what it contains, but it is no longer safe in my care. Lockwoods have kept that safe for centuries, until a time when the truth can be known. What’s happening to Darren is not something… this didn’t happen to me and all I can think about is how I have failed as a father and as a husband...’ Remus could see that the Healer was at breaking point. ‘Please, take care of my daughter, Remus. You have always been a good man, all I ask is that you be a better husband than I have been.’ George glanced quickly to his family inside.

Remus stared down at the strange object in his hand, he could hear a faint whispering coming from it, whatever was inside, it was very powerful. This was Angelina’s future and a part of him feared it. ‘I will do my best.’ Remus said, unable to think of anything else appropriate to say.

‘I hope it’s enough for all our sake.’ George turned back to head inside, leaving Remus standing in the snow alone. 

He had no idea of what to do with the orb, he kept his hand curled around it and walked as swiftly as he could towards the Headmaster’s office. He had seen Quirrell shuffling down a corridor and for a moment he considered following him, but more important matters needed to be dealt with.

‘Sherbet Lemon.’ Remus panted and the gargoyle outside the Headmasters office began to turn. Remus jumped onto the stairs as the statue turned all the way up to the very top. He knocked on the door and suddenly realised he was sweating heavily. 

‘Enter.’ The headmaster called. Remus stepped in and Dumbledore was pacing. ‘Remus, what can I help you with this evening?’

Remus held his shaking hand out and showed Dumbledore the white orb. The headmaster strode over to Remus and eyed the orb curiously, being careful not to touch it.

‘Albus, I need to keep this safe until Angelina returns from Tibet.’ Remus panted. ‘Please help me.’

Dumbledore eyed him for a moment. ‘Do you know what you hold in your hand Remus?’

‘The Lockwood’s Prophecy,’ Remus nodded, the whispers slowly beginning to fade and grow quiet. ‘George gave it to me to look after, he no longer believes it is safe in his care, I promised I would look after it for him.’

Dumbledore nodded. ‘It will be safe at Hogwarts.’ He said and curled his fingers towards one of the sealed compartments close to his pensieve, a small drawer pulled itself out. ‘You must give a password in order to open it again. I suggest you use something that only yourself and Miss Lockwood would know.’ Without another word, Dumbledore left his own office and Remus entirely alone.

Remus bent down and placed the orb into the drawer that slowly began shutting. He quickly racked his brain for something that he and Angelina would both know. For the longest time he couldn’t think of anything, before a brainwave hit him. ‘Reykjavik.’ He said and watched as a small magical barrier formed outside of the drawer. It was safe.

Remus made his way back down to his office and sighed into his chair, he quickly looked at his parchment where another letter from Angelina sat waiting for him.

 

Remus,

I need your help. The guide said that the journey to enlightenment is only for those who are worthy of the secrets within, he talked about being free of conflict, doubt and fear. Something is telling me to climb the mountain, what if I did it and I found something, a door or a secret passageway. You said that it takes more than just what is inside my head, my heart is telling me to climb the mountain and face whatever is up there. Am I being stupid here?

I spoke to Darren, I’m sorry about what he said to you, but whatever is going on with him is making the brother inside me nervous and making my need to find answers stronger. I’m at a loss, there’s nothing more I can read about, I have no idea what to do.

I miss you.

Yours

Angelina

 

Remus sighed and picked up his quill. What was he supposed to say?

 

Angelina,

I told you before, I can’t tell you what to do, you must follow what you heart tells you. Trust yourself to make the right decision. I only ever ask that you stay safe and you come home to me when you are done.

If your path leads you up the mountain, then that is where it leads, but please understand that I need you back in one piece, I cannot let anything bad happen to you, I need you. I will always need you.

When you get home, we will talk, I’m sure we will have plenty to say to each other. If you climb the mountain, please make sure you write any chance you get and let me know you are safe.

I love you.

Yours always

Remus

 

I wasn’t sure what else to do, I read through Remus’s letter three or four times and finally settled it in my head. I was climbing the mountain, I wasn’t wasting anymore time, I grabbed my bag and my broom, slinging both over my shoulder and pulled my wand out. The mountain looked especially intimidating in the early morning light, but that wasn’t going to stop me.

I reached the base of the mountain and saw a path that led upwards, it seemed like the place to start. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up, someone was watching me. It was the red that caught my attention, the red cloak of the monk standing almost at the exact spot where the path started. I carefully walked up to him.

‘You must be sure.’ He said, his voice was old, tired, but something wise underneath it. ‘Otherwise you will die.’

‘I’m ready, I trust myself to do this.’ I said, determined that nothing would stand in my way.

‘Then your training begins now,’ the monk nodded. ‘When you reach our sacred place, ask for Tenzin, he will be your teacher.’ It was as if the monk was suddenly made of sand, he faded away with the wind. 

Tenzin. I held the name in my head as I started up the steep path. I was barely walking for an hour before I was exhausted, I stopped for a few minutes to get my breath back before continuing, I had to find Dǎkāi xīnlíng.

 

‘It’s a shame that she has to stay,’ Lily said, handing over the potatoes to Remus, he had gone over for Christmas dinner to find that Harry had opted to stay at Hogwarts with Ron, Remus wasn’t exactly shocked. ‘Especially over Christmas day, I was going to suggest you invite her over for dinner.’

‘Mmm.’ Remus hummed in agreement, he wasn’t exactly listening. He was thinking on the strange orb in Dumbledore’s office, the one that presumably would tell Angelina how to get rid of the brothers once and for all. 

‘Remus are you okay?’ Lily got his attention. He quickly looked up at James and Lily who were both very concerned for their friend.

‘Yes, fine.’ He feigned laughter. ‘Just tired, that’s all, it’s been a long few months.’

‘You sure?’ James sipped his wine and eyed his friend. Remus nodded and continued eating, he could sense James and Lily having a silent conversation. ‘So, where is Angelina? You said something about scaling the side of a mountain?’

‘She’s currently climbing Manaslu, she’s looking for a village there.’ Remus was happy to be talking about Angelina as it released some tension in his mind, but he was wary of where the conversation was going. 

‘What village?’

Remus sighed. ‘It’s called “Dǎkāi xīnlíng”, it doesn’t appear on any maps, but Angelina is sure she can find it.’

‘Manaslu?’ Lily suddenly stopped eating. ‘Remus, does she know that there a new pack of yetis that have moved close to that mountain?’

Remus took a breath. ‘She wouldn’t go up the mountain if she believed herself to be in any real danger.’

‘Have you asked her? How can you be sure?’

‘Because she promised me she would stay safe!’ Remus snapped, he took a moment to relax the second the outburst was over. He rested his mouth against his hands for a moment. ‘I asked her before she left if she had thoroughly researched anything that could go wrong, I believe she did to the best of her ability, I asked her to stay safe and not to take any unnecessary risks, she promised me she wouldn’t, and I believe her. She wouldn’t climb a mountain alone knowing full well a pack of yetis was waiting for her.’ Remus took another breath, he could feel the tension in the air and immediately wanted to take everything back. ‘I’m sorry, I’m just… very stressed.’ It wasn’t a lie.

‘Okay,’ James calmed the air a little. ‘That’s fine, we all get stressed from time to time, best not bottle it up though. Just remember you can talk to us about anything.’

‘Unfortunately not.’ Remus sighed. ‘This is something that I cannot talk about until Angelina gets back, it wouldn’t be right.’

‘Remus,’ Lily leaned over and placed her hand on his arm. ‘She loves you, you know that don’t you? She isn’t going to leave you for someone else.’

‘It’s not that kind of topic.’ Remus half smiled. ‘I’m sorry I raised my voice, it’ll be fine, as soon as she’s back, I will be fine.’

For a few minutes, Remus really did believe that, but soon the burden of the prophecy began weighing him down again.

 

The mountain had so many twists and turns to it, the air was colder the higher up I went and it was getting to be more of an effort with each step. I remembered the tips Aleksander had given me when climbing through Pirin National Park, look for the easy routes, don’t climb over harsh rocks if there’s a clearer path, it might take longer, but it’s safer. Only travel during the day time and keep yourself safe during the night, find a nearby cave if you can. 

The winter months were the worst for the daylight hours and I found myself settling in for the night sooner than I had wanted to. I hadn’t eaten anything since I left the pub that morning and I only had a couple of bars of chocolate left in my bag, I was an idiot for being so rash. The cave I was in faced the direction of the sunrise, I would leave at first light and continue the trek up the mountain, but the night would be far from silent, I could hear the brother shouting at me and sending flashes of pain through my body whenever I felt myself dosing off.

I pulled out my book and wrote to Remus, letting him know I was safe and sound and I was well on my way to finding the village. The truth was I had no idea of where I was going, but something was telling me this was right. 

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up again, there was a faint growling coming from just above me, I put my wand out and as silently as I could muster, stepped as far back into the cave as I could. The growling got momentarily louder, before silence fell. I didn’t dare move, not until I was sure it no longer had an interest anything hiding in the cave.

‘Angie, is that a yeti?’ Did the brother seriously expect me to answer that? If I made any noise at all, I would definitely be found. ‘Angie, if that is a yeti, we need to run… Angie, we can’t stay here, we’re in danger… we can’t die, Angie, we have to go home…ANGIE!’ I could barely hear the yeti wandering away over the brother’s outcries, but luckily it did and I was again alone. I really hoped I didn’t snore.

 

I see a monk, standing alone in the desert storm, he walks up to me, his gaze never wavers, his speed is constant, his purpose unmoving. He offers me his hand, but when I reach up to take it, I see that my own hand has been cut off. Somehow he helps me up as if what should be at the end of my arm is there. How? The monk doesn’t say anything, but I see in his eyes, he is communicating something to me. He raises his right hand, reaching up towards the burning sun, I feel my own non-existent hand being burnt, there is no pain, just a burning sensation that courses through my veins, I feel strong. 

I am thrust into a type of dance, though it is combative in nature, it feels more like some sort of ritual, our movements are aggressive, I feel the power of the sun and it makes me feel strong.

 

My eyes snapped open, it was just beginning to get light outside, I could see the sun starting to peek over the distant hills and I sat up feeling the aches of a harsh night. It was such a strange dream, it felt so real, the monk was standing right in front of me, only it wasn’t the same monk from before, this one was different. Was it Tenzin? Was he communicating to me through my dreams? Pushing me forward? Surely not, it can’t have been possible… could it?

The mountain was as harsh against my body as I imagined it would be. The brother made every joint ache with every step I took. It was killing me to climb, but I needed to keep moving. I came across several footprints that definitely belonged to yetis, some fresher than others and decided to get away from there as quickly as I could. 

Each day I spent there, drained me of energy, motivation and more importantly, food. I only had half a bar left and it wasn’t enough to get me all the way to the top. Why did I do this? Why was I so stupid, of course I couldn’t make it, I let the brother get to me, I let my ego get to me and now I was going to die on the side of a mountain because I was too stubborn to admit when it was too much. 

I lay my head down to sleep every night and every time I closed my eyes I saw the monk, he taught me new ways to move, to fight and to control myself. Together we used the power of the sun, wind, earth, lightning, the last being the easiest for me to learn somehow. But was this even real? Or was it all in my head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying the story! Let me know how you feel about it in the comments :)


	4. An Unlikely Place

Remus breathed in the new years morning, a fresh year, a fresh start. He had only heard from Angelina a few times since Christmas Day, she was still climbing the mountain, determined to find this sacred village. He worried more and more every day, she didn’t seem to be getting any closer and already she had had close encounters with Yetis, they would kill her as soon as they saw her, unless she did something to deter them. 

She was distracted by her dreams and the brother that was for certain, she kept describing a monk called Tenzin who came to her in her dreams and encouraged her to carry on. She was convinced that he was teaching her combat in her sleep, but how was that even possible? 

Remus took his concerns to George, he hated to do it, but this seemed like something he should know about, if his daughter was somewhere dangerous and possibly going mad, he needed to know. Remus had no idea what to do and with Harry still figuring things out, he couldn’t leave the school.

‘Maybe you should take some time off?’ George suggested, he was in the hospital wing, helping Madame Pomfrey for a few days, it was only by chance that Remus caught him as Erin had had a particularly nasty injury over the last Quidditch game. ‘Just for a week or so, catch up with yourself?’

‘I can’t just take time off whenever I like George, I have responsibilities.’ Remus half laughed.

‘And if you ask me as a medical man,’ George stopped and turned to face Remus. ‘I would say that you are letting those responsibilities overwhelm you and you need some time to yourself.’ The Healer took a breath and adjusted his glasses. ‘Look, I’m not trying to start anything, I’m just suggesting that a week of rest could be good for you. All you’ve done since Angelina left is worry about her and if she is safe, you have enough on your plate as it is, I just don’t want your judgement to be impaired by putting yourself under unnecessary pressure.’ 

Remus didn’t follow George for a second time, maybe he was right, maybe Remus needed some time to think, his temper was much shorter these days and he was worried it was affecting his relationships with the students. Nathan seemed to be the only one who wasn’t affected by the new change. 

Remus had tried to clear his head out by the lake, it was always a good place for him, it was the place Angelina spent her happiest times, she discovered her Puffapods, she swam with her friends and howled at the sky there and it made Remus happy to think of her looking out at the dark water. He sat down on a nearby rock, usually the one Angelina would leave her dry clothes on, he imagined her coming out of the water, exhausted, smiling and immediately talking about whatever she had found in her jar. 

‘Sir?’ Remus knew that voice, the one he didn’t seem to mind too much. Nathan was holding Millie’s hand, they both looked a little out of breath, wrapped up warm and presumably looking for somewhere with a little privacy.

Remus smiled at them. ‘I’ll get out of your hair,’ he said knowingly, a blush formed across Millie’s cheeks. ‘Though the treeline a little further up has a lovely view of the lake and the hillside.’

Remus began making his way past the young lovers, before Nathan stopped him. ‘Are you alright professor?’ He asked and for a moment Millie wasn’t pleased that they had stopped, but soon became curious herself.

‘I’m fine, Nathan.’

‘Are you sure? You just seem a bit distracted lately.’

Remus couldn’t help his laugh. ‘That’s what happens when you get older and you let things pile up.’

‘She isn’t back yet, is she?’ It was Millie who asked. ‘Sorry, Nathan told me your girlfriend was in Tibet over the winter, is she okay?’

Remus sighed, it looked as if the two sixth years really did have his best interests at heart. 

‘She’s not back yet, no.’ Remus admitted, the three of them sat back down and looked out at the lake. Nathan kept Millie close to his body for warmth, while Remus simply sat as if he were in his own office, one leg over the other, leaning back against the overhanging tree, barely noticing the cold. ‘Angelina has had encounters with yetis already and she still hasn’t found what she is looking for.’

‘What is she looking for?’ Millie was just as curious as Nathan and it was clear why he had chosen this particular Ravenclaw to become infatuated with. 

‘Herself, in a way.’ Remus frowned. ‘Her family’s history puts a lot of pressure on her, she’s the youngest of the Lockwoods and people are expecting great things of her, expecting her to be a hero, to save the world one day.’ Remus had to laugh at the last bit.

‘That’s a lot of pressure to put on anyone, she didn’t seem fazed when she came to our class?’

‘No, no, she is quite extraordinary in that way.’ Remus thought about that day and smiled to himself, she was so beautiful. ‘I would never say this to her, but my fear is that the world will need to rely on her sooner than she is ready for, it will be difficult for her to accept her role in the coming years.’

‘What will her role be, professor?’ Nathan adjusted so that he could better hear Remus.

‘As yet, unknown.’ Remus took a breath. ‘I shouldn’t say this to you, but I have a growing fear that something is coming, something we are not prepared for.’

‘Like what?’

Remus paused for a moment, he wanted his students to be safe and he knew the best way to keep them so was to prepare them as best he could to defend themselves. ‘Those of us who fought in the war… well, let’s just say we’re getting nervous again. It’s not usually a good sign.’

‘My mother fought in the war.’ Millie said sadly. ‘She went out to work one day when I was three, never came home. I don’t have a lot of memories of her.’ Nathan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kept her close.

‘I’m very sorry to hear that.’ Remus said, softly. He suddenly thought of all the things he lost during the war, Peter and Sirius being prominent in his mind. ‘I… may I ask you both for advice?’

‘Of course.’

‘Absolutely.’ They answered in unison and it made Remus smile. He thought on his question for a moment.

‘If you had a secret… well, it’s not exactly a secret… I want to tell Angelina something, to admit to her some things that I have done that… they don’t paint me as a good man and in fact some of these things…’ Remus swallowed, he could feel his tears fighting to find the corners of his eyes. ‘During the war, we all did things that we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies, I hurt people, I was forced to sacrifice so much and at times I was too weak to make the right choice and allowed my friends to die… I fear, if Angelina knows these things I will no longer be the man deserving of her love.’ Remus took a moment. ‘So, the question is, do I keep my promise, to always be honest with her and risk losing her forever, or do I keep this from her always knowing that I am simply not good enough to be a part of her life, that I’m not the man she thinks I am?’

The two sixth years said nothing for the longest time, Remus thought that he had made a colossal mistake in saying anything to them at all. It was Nathan who broke the silence.

‘Did you ever kill anyone?’

‘No, I wasn’t capable of such things, but I often wished I was.’

‘You should tell her.’ Nathan took a moment to be sure of himself. ‘You want to marry her, don’t you?’

‘More than anything.’ Remus nodded and became suddenly curious about the young man’s logic.

‘Then you have to tell her everything, you can’t expect her to spend the rest of her life with you if she doesn’t know you’ve made mistakes.’ That made Remus laugh slightly, the reference to the late night conversation he’d had with Nathan in his classroom.

‘Very wise, indeed.’ Remus nodded. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments more, just taking in the afternoon air. 

‘Professor?’ Millie said, a little uncertain. Remus knew the tone, it was one that said, she had a question she wasn’t sure if she could ask.

‘Why do I feel like Nathan has influenced you in the area of forward questions?’ Remus raised his eyebrows and smiled, shaking his head slightly when he saw her cheeks glow pink. ‘What’s your question?’

‘If it’s too personal, then don’t answer, but I just wanted to ask something.’ She said, thinking for a moment. ‘You just seem so in love with her, I just wonder, how could you let her go for so long without going with her, or worrying about if she’ll come home again?’

Remus let out an almost bark-like laugh. ‘Sorry, it’s a perfectly reasonable question.’ Remus gathered himself and took a breath. ‘I think Nathan and I have already covered this one but truthfully, I am terrified of where she is. I have real fears about whether she will make it out of Tibet in one piece and by the sounds of things, my fears are justified.’

‘Is she alright?’ Nathan’s head snapped around to face Remus.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but something stopped him answering the question in the affirmative, he really couldn’t say for certain whether she was okay at all. ‘I’m sure she will be fine.’

Once again the three of them sat in silence for a moment. Remus pulled out his parchment and stared down at it, he wondered whether he should have written to Angelina, given her some form of comfort, but the problem was he wasn’t sure of what he could say. He put the parchment away and ignored the inquisitive looks from his company.

‘You should ask her as soon as she comes back.’ Nathan spoke with a smile on his face. Remus just frowned slightly. ‘To marry you. As soon as you see her again, you tell her everything you need to tell her and you end the conversation with a proposal.’

Remus smiled and became conscious of the box in his pocket. ‘Believe me, if I could I would.’

‘What’s stopping you?’

Remus shook his head. ‘Angelina and I have much to talk about when she returns, most of it isn’t good. She’s not the best at understanding emotional motivations and can be overwhelmed at the best of times. I learned a long time ago how to be patient and how to approach sensitive topics. When the time is right for her, I will ask and I hope at that time I will be sure of her answer.’

Nathan watched him for a moment. ‘You’ve got the ring in your pocket, haven’t you?’

‘I never leave without it anymore.’ Remus smiled and pulled out the box to look at it. He caught Millie’s interested look and opened the box so that they could see the ring better. ‘It was my mother’s, she gave it to me before she died in the hopes that I would find someone to give it to.’

‘It’s beautiful.’ Millie breathed.

‘It is.’ Remus looked down at the ring and tried to imagine the moment he asked Angelina to be his forever, tried to imagine her saying yes and smiling at him, kissing him, telling him finally that she loved him. Remus cleared his throat, distracting himself from thoughts of Angelina and put the ring away. ‘I suppose I should get back to the castle, leave you two in peace.’ He chuckled.

‘Actually, it’s getting pretty cold,’ Millie confessed. ‘Maybe, we should head up as well.’

‘Sure.’ Nathan didn’t seem bothered by her request at all and all three of them began wandering back up to the castle. They soon slipped into talk of upcoming essays that were due and Remus reminded them that while he hoped they found time to spend together, it wasn’t at the cost of their studies.

‘And thank you,’ Remus said, just outside his classroom. ‘For your advice, I feel sure your guidance will be something I come rely on.’

‘Any time Professor.’ Nathan nodded and they agreed that they wouldn’t tell anyone anything, something Remus greatly appreciated. He felt significantly calmer than he had done throughout most of the holidays and felt in the right mind to write to Angelina.

 

I was getting closer, I could feel it. Tenzin came to me in my dreams, he showed me his skill, I repeated it back to him and I kept climbing. The air was much thinner the closer to the summit I got, but I kept moving, I needed to reach the top, to find the sacred village. I had read up on the Tibetan Oracles and it seemed that they may well have been what I was searching for the entire time.

The brother continued his attack on my mind, screaming at me to go back, to go home, insisting that Darren was in danger, but he was lying, he had to be. Darren was fine and if he wasn’t Remus would have said something. Remus hadn’t mentioned anymore episodes, so surely they had passed. Darren was fine.

I could feel the pain in my bones, especially my spine and in particular the place I had already broken it twice. Some days I thought about just letting go and dropping down into the nothingness, rather than face the pain. But something kept spurring me on, the thought that Remus wouldn’t quit, he wanted a future, a life with me, possibly even a family and even if he didn’t I could at least let him know it was an option. But I had to make it to the top first.

I had found a spot to rest for the night, a small crevice that overlooked a very steep drop down the mountain, but there was little other choice. I was more exposed than I would have like to have been, but I hadn’t spotted any yetis all day and I was getting good at recognising their patterns. 

‘Angie, I think we’re close.’ The brother said, just as I was about to fall asleep. My body was weak as it was, I couldn’t deal with any less sleep than I had been getting. I needed to rest, I was running low on chocolate and realised quickly that I wouldn’t make it back down unless I found Dǎkāi xīnlíng. ‘Angie, can you feel that?’ As soon as he mentioned it, I felt a sort of warmth coming from the clearing I had just passed. I presumed it was one of his tricks and ignored him, trying to close my eyes and rest. ‘Angie, get up, can’t you feel the trail?’ Of course, I could feel it, but it wasn’t real. ‘Why won’t you get up? I’m not playing any tricks, I’m not trying to deceive you, there is something there.’

I took a breath, realising that if I didn’t find a way to shut him up, I would never sleep. ‘Fine, I’ll check it out, but if there’s nothing there, will you let me sleep?’

‘Yes.’ 

I didn’t believe him, not for a second. I got up anyway, hugged my coat tighter to my thinning body and held my wand out, lighting the way. I turned the last corner I had walked to find the guide standing in the middle of the clearing. He turned to me and from what I could tell, he was smiling.

‘You found it.’ He said. ‘You have proven yourself and now you may enter with the name of your teacher.’

I blinked, not quite believing it. Was this another trick? 

‘T-Tenzin. My teacher’s name is Tenzin.’ I tried to say with as much confidence as I could. The guide stood to one side and I saw what the brother had been talking about. One area, a circle that I had purposely avoided the last time, there was no wind and in fact the snow on the ground began fading slightly. I stepped towards it, still holding my coat. I couldn’t afford to be unsure, so I stepped into the circle and looked up to find myself in a village that reminded me a lot of the sanctuary in Bulgaria. It was warm and bright, stone pathways leading all around the village and monks everywhere, much like the one from the bottom of the mountain. I turned to see the guide watching me.

‘Very few outsiders have ever found this place.’ He said. ‘Even fewer have passed the tests and proven themselves worthy of the teachings of enlightenment.’

‘Angie Lockwood.’ I turned to see a familiar face, it was the monk from my dreams, only he seemed so much older in real life. In fact, when I really looked at him, nothing about his creased features represented the monk in my dreams, but it was him, I could feel it. ‘We have waited a very long time for you. Welcome to Dǎkāi xīnlíng, I am Tenzin. When you wake, your training will begin.’

What did he mean by that? I suddenly had the question answered as my legs gave out and my exhaustion caught up to me all at once, I fell to the ground and allowed my eyes to close, for the first time since arriving in Tibet, I slept soundly and fully.


	5. Dǎkāi Xīnlíng

I could feel warm air against my skin, it was so nice to wake up and not feel my body crying out with pain, to breath in air that didn’t sting in my lungs, to smell fresh air filled with flowery scents. This must have been a dream? Or worse, I’d fallen during the night and this was what happened after death.

I could hear a mumbling coming from close to where I was, voices that I didn’t recognise. I turned my head and felt the soft comfort of the bed beneath me, I never wanted to get up, after nearly a month of sleeping on the hard, rocky ground, this was heaven. Someone was wiping my arms with a warm cloth, soothing my sensitive skin, the more they did it, the deeper into sleep I fell. 

‘Angie, open your eyes.’

The sun shone straight into my eyes and I could barely see anything, I covered them with my arm as I soon adjusted to my surroundings. It was a baron desert place, no wind, no people, no sacred village. Nothing in every direction.

‘Angie.’ I turned to see the same monk I had seen in my dreams. ‘Are you ready to continue your training?’ I frowned for just a moment. ‘You are unsure?’

‘I made it to Dǎkāi xīnlíng.’ 

‘You made it, yes.’ The monk smiled, it was the first time I’d ever seen him smile and it was nice. ‘But this is where the real training will occur, you have already started your journey to enlightenment and it is important that you continue.’

‘Are you Tenzin?’ I asked, just as we began to walk towards some temple that I somehow hadn’t noticed before. 

‘I am a part of him, just like you are a part of Angie.’ He said and I was more confused than before. ‘You share your soul with another, an intruder.’

‘The brother.’ I nodded, it was only then that I noticed that I was wearing the same all white outfit that I wore when speaking with the brother. ‘He’s been trying to stop me finding this place.’

The monk suddenly laughed and his outer appearance changed, he was now dressed in red clothes similar to my own, t-shirt and linen trousers. ‘Angie, haven’t you worked it out by now? This is what you have been seeking, this is what the inside of you looks like, distorted, vast, complex and filled with secrets that can only be uncovered by you.’ We reached the temple and Tenzin hopped up each step with ease, I followed him as closely as I could. ‘This is also a safe place, somewhere you can come that the brother cannot find, as long as you stay focused. He will be aware of its existence, but as long as you remain strong, he will not break the walls of this place.’

We entered into the temple and somehow it was bigger in everyway than it had first appeared, like it should have been inhabited by giants. It was also reminiscent of a Roman temple, the pillars made of stone and the inside was airy and without colour. 

‘So, this is like a dreamland?’ I asked. Tenzin turned and frowned.

‘Angie, this is your soul. You may come and go whenever you please, it’s just easier for me to communicate with you in your dreams. Easier for me to control what happens, however, when you are awake, you can meditate and find this place on your own.’ He explained. ‘I am only here to help you realise the potential of this place and maybe shine a light on your future.’

‘You were expecting me.’

Tenzin sighed and put his hand on my shoulder. ‘The world will soon be thrust into a darkness, the likes of which we have never seen before, this is worse than Voldemort, than Nakamura, this will be the last war of the Lockwoods and you will have to be ready if you are to have any chance at stopping it.’ 

I swallowed. That was a lot of pressure. 

‘Angie, you have been expected to make this journey for nearly three thousand years, you are the only one capable of ending the war, the only one who can destroy the brothers for good. Their presence in the physical world is a disgrace to wizards and witches everywhere, they should never have existed in the first place. I’m so sorry that this burden has been given to you, but I hope to help you realise why you were chosen.’

I looked around at the vastness of the desert land that surrounded the temple, I had the distinct feeling that I was missing a lot of things that were right in front of me. ‘I didn’t come here to prepare for war, I came here so that I could have a life with Remus, one where we can be happy.’

‘Regardless of your reasoning, you are here because events were set in motion three thousand years ago that would lead you to this moment and to the moments that follow. Fate is why you are here Angie Lockwood and soon you will come to see why.’ 

I felt a whip of anger float through me and suddenly there were storm clouds overhead. Lightning coursed through the clouds and Tenzin sighed. 

‘We must continue your training, you must be ready for the journey ahead.’ Tenzin headed back into the temple. ‘Grab the lightning, keep the enemies away from the door, if you fail, you die.’

There was a screeching that suddenly came from the door to the temple, they were tar-like creatures, scrambling over one another, all trying to get inside. I held my hand out and willed the lightning to find me. The battle began the same as it always did and I fought the same as I always did.

 

Darren could feel his body wearing down already, the match had only been going on for five hours now and he was never usually one for tiring before six. He had been subbed off at five and a half hours and was furious. He had never felt his body fail him the way it did during that match and against the Cannons just made it so much worse. His legs were shaking and he could barely stay standing in the shower. 

Darren let himself slide down the cool wall of the showers and allowed the hot water to burn through his muscles. Why was he so weak?

The game was won by one hundred and sixty points, but Darren couldn’t help but feel a lack of genuine happiness for his team. He was supposed to be the star of the team and the one that scored all the goals, instead he was just jealous that his name wasn’t being cheered in the clubhouse afterwards.

It was drinks all round and even Katie was having a good time with her fiancé, Roderick, he was a nice person, well suited to Katie, fifteen years older, caring and compassionate, jet black hair that was greying at the sides. He was still a fit man, still played a little quidditch and kept himself busy. Katie adored him and he adored her.

‘Hey, why the grim look?’ Katie teased him. Darren watched from the corner of his eye, Roderick was watching Katie, not in a jealous way, but more in one that displayed his adoration for her.

Darren was sitting at the bar when Katie had hopped over to him. He laughed and sipped his butterbeer. ‘I’m just tired.’

‘Yeah? Clara been giving you a rough ride?’ Katie winked and it made Darren laugh at least. ‘Come on, you love a party. Come and dance with me, take your mind off the match. We all have our bad games.’ 

Darren sighed and reluctantly followed his friend to the dance floor. He could hear the brother laughing at him and did his best to ignore it while he danced with his old friend. And for a while this was fine, Darren could listen to the echoes of the laughing brother, ignore the gradually increasing screams in his head, he could even deal with not quite being able to hear the music playing in the clubhouse. The thing he couldn’t deal with was the moment he saw Clara talking to Roderick, they were just a little too close for his liking.

He strode over to Clara and immediately kissed her hair, wrapping his arm around her waist and smiling. Her cheeks flushed pink and Roderick frowned slightly, clearing his throat.

‘Darren, how are you feeling?’ Roderick asked, his voice rough from all his years of shouting drills, but gentle like the kind soul he was. 

‘Just fine, Roderick, just fine.’ Darren didn’t once look at the assistant coach, his eyes were kept firmly on Clara. She somehow kept him focussed. ‘How are you?’ He finally managed to pull his gaze away from Clara who was blushing and more concerned with the people now watching Darren.

‘Good, just talking to Clara about-‘

‘Oh, I saw.’ Darren cut him off and took Clara’s hand. ‘Let’s go home? I’m tired, I could do with some sleep.’ Darren pulled her knuckles to his lips and placed a delicate kiss to her skin, smiling down at her.

‘Okay, we can go.’ Clara nodded. Darren didn’t look at anyone else except Clara as he left with her on his arm.

Darren lay down that night in bed and stared up at his ceiling, all he could hear was the faint screaming in the back of his head and all he could think of was Angie.

 

I fell to my knees, I was bruised and battered, Tenzin had just sat and meditated while I used every piece of skill I could to drive back the enemy forces. I took a deep breath and listened for anything else that might be coming for me.

‘You have done well,’ Tenzin finally stood and walked over to me, he placed the tips of his fingers against my forehead. ‘Time to wake up.’

Sweat was soaking my skin, my body hurt and all I could hear was the brother screaming at the top of his lungs. I quickly pulled my hands up to my ears, but it was no good, the screaming was as loud as it had ever been. He didn’t stop, he didn’t let up, he just kept going and going and all I could think was how this might just have been the biggest mistake I had ever made.

‘She is not strong enough, she will not survive the training, let alone the tests.’ A voice was whispering close to my bed. I knew that I was shaking and sweating heavily, I kept my ears covered, even though it barely blocked out any sound whatsoever.

‘She will be strong when she needs to be. She has to be. We will not survive if she isn’t.’ Another voice cut in, this one was strangely familiar, but I was sure I hadn’t heard it before. ‘Come, let her rest, tomorrow we will try again.’

‘And what if she fails again?’

‘Then we will try every day until she succeeds!’ 

What was it I was supposed to succeed at? What was it they were testing? I always passed every test at school, I never failed, so why was I failing now? If only I had Remus, he would make me strong again, he always made me strong.

 

I woke up a few hours later, I was exhausted, my body wasn’t ready to be moved and yet that was exactly what I was doing. I managed to get myself outside, it was still bright and warm and it felt good on my skin for a while, until I started shaking and having cold sweats. I grabbed a nearby blanket from within the small wooden hut that I had woken up in, wrapping it around my shoulders and waiting for the discomfort to stop.

I heard a group of monks speaking close by and tried to stand up to speak with them, but it was no use, my body was far too weak to do anything other than lay on the warm ground and watch as the rest of the village went about their day. There was a large group of people, all at least north of seventy, practising some form of martial arts, they all looked a hundred times fitter than I had ever been.

‘Angie.’ A voice came from just around the stone path. I saw a very old monk approaching me, he was at least one hundred years old.

‘Tenzin?’ I frowned.

‘You should be resting.’ He said and carefully helped me up enough that he could get me back into my room and into bed. I wrapped the blanket around my body, even though I couldn’t decide whether I was hot or cold. I was too tired to move the blanket anyway. 

Tenzin wandered behind where I was laying and grabbed a wooden cup filled with cool water, he helped me drink it and I felt so much better already. I felt my eyes stay open for a little while longer each time I blinked and I was no longer subject to the sweats.

‘Something in it?’ I mumbled.

‘Just to help you recover.’ Tenzin nodded, his creased eyes smiled down at me. ‘You’re exhausted, your body is weak. Just rest.’

‘I have questions.’ I managed to say, my breathing was still a little off, but at least I was able to talk.

‘Such as?’

‘I came here for your help, I came here so that I could fix myself.’ I breathed much more heavily and I could feel myself growing uncomfortable in my skin, like it was burning me.

‘Okay, okay, easy now.’ Tenzin said and the second his hand touched me, I was able to relax. ‘Those are not questions Angie, those are statements. What are your questions?’

I let my body relax and thought for a moment. What did I want to know more than anything? The first question I had, what was it? Like a reflex, like instinct, what did my heart say? Remus.

‘How do I get rid of the brother? How do I have a happy life with Remus? How do I fix what is wrong inside of me?’ I felt the tears leave my eyes in quick succession, I couldn’t stop them.

‘You do that, by learning, growing and loving. These three things do not come easy to the darkness inside you, but for you, they are second nature.’ Tenzin said and smiled again. ‘I will teach you the way to bring peace to our world, only then can you have what you desire.’

As soon as his hand left my skin, I began to descend back into sweats, uncomfortable sleep and the screams began getting louder, only this time, they were accompanied by flashing images of death and destruction.

 

It was a hard couple of weeks for Remus, just as he had started to relax and worry less about Angelina, she stopped writing. He only knew she was safe when a small message appeared on his parchment. 

 

Am safe. I promise. Just trust me. 

Angelina.

 

He had seen it out of the corner of his eye when he was teaching his first years about Bowtruckles, he had stopped mid-sentence and looked down at it. Worry began to flood his being at how short and clipped the message was, but she said she was safe, she promised she was safe, so he tried his hardest to believe her. Remus cleared his throat and continued with his lesson as best he could.

‘These tree guardians are usually fairly peaceful,’ he continued, sitting on the edge of the outer desk and watching the small creature roam around his hand. ‘However, they can become violent if it senses a threat to either itself or the tree in which it lives.’

The class was much more interested in the small skittish creature in his hand than anything he was actually saying and Remus didn’t mind in the slightest. 

‘Okay, that’s enough for today, if you’d like to collect your books, that’s the end of the class.’ Remus put the creature down next to him and watched his young students leave the classroom one by one, each of them waving to the creature who waved back with as much enthusiasm. ‘Suppose we should get you back to Hagrid.’ Remus chuckled and wandered over to his desk.

 

Angelina,

I’m still worried, please write when you get a chance, or better yet, let me speak to you through the fire. I trust you, but it doesn’t stop me being unhappy that I’ve heard nothing from you for two weeks.

Darren has been having more regular episodes and I heard from James that he has been subbed off the quidditch pitch more often from fatigue. I think its safe to say the brother is getting restless. 

Please let me know what is going on over there and when you’ll be home.

I miss you.

Yours

Remus 

 

Remus sighed and gathered up the Bowtruckle to take back to Hagrid. He knew he wouldn’t get an answer straight away and the fresh air might have done him good, even a trip down to the lake again would sooth his emotions somewhat.

 

I wanted to write to Remus at length, I wanted to tell him everything that was happening, but I didn’t know how to explain any of it and I didn’t have the energy to be awake for any more than a few minutes at a time. Tenzin had been in my dreams teaching me to last longer against the intruders, he’d been at my bedside, helping me to wander around the beautiful village when I could.

He explained little more about my purpose in the village, but more about the potential I had to be stronger than I ever thought possible. I was scared of some of the things he was suggesting as none of it told me how to remove the brother from inside me and live a normal life with Remus. 

‘We cannot just give you all the answers Angie.’ Tenzin laughed as we sat watching the sunset over the distant mountains. ‘You must work to find them on your own, you must make these connections on your own.’

‘But you haven’t given me anything,’ I panted, still unable to go very far without getting tired. ‘All I know how to do is defend a temple against a thousand dark creatures.’

‘And why do you think you are doing that?’

‘I guess it has something to do with strengthening my soul.’ I shrugged, frustrated with the little progress I was making.

Tenzin sighed. ‘The ability to hold off the enemy for a long time is a valuable one, but only when it provides a distraction for others to complete tasks. You need to remember what I told you about where you are when you train. It is you, your soul, your sanctuary and your mind is in control. All your secrets are in there Angie, you need only look.’

I thought about it for a moment and I couldn’t understand what he was saying. There was nothing there, just desert and the same temple every time I opened my eyes. I sighed and looked around the sacred village, everywhere I looked people were calm and treating each other with the utmost respect.

‘Where exactly is this?’ I asked. 

Tenzin just laughed. ‘This is Dǎkāi xīnlíng, the sacred place you have sought after for many years now.’

‘I know, but where?’ I tried to clarify. ‘I was on the side of Manaslu, I stepped into a clearing and then I was here. It must have been some kind of portkey or apparation site, right?’

Tenzin smiled happily, for such an old man, he seemed incredibly youthful. ‘It is a circle meant only to be found by a select few.’ That didn’t mean anything, that meant nothing, that was the most unspecific and vague response I could possibly have asked for! ‘You are here because we allowed you to be.’ Slightly more specific, but still not the answer I was looking for. ‘You must stop searching for select truths Angie, to learn the Oracles magic, you must be open to all answers.’ Wait a second, was he reading my mind? ‘You think I could access your soul without being able to see what you are thinking as well?’

I couldn’t help but smile, he was right, I should have known. 

‘It’s not really about reading, its more about seeing.’ Tenzin explained. ‘In case it hasn’t been painfully obvious by now, I will be teaching you to see, not to seek.’

‘What’s the difference?’

‘Seeking suggests expectation, seeing is more open than that.’

I thought for a moment. ‘When I was researching this place, I found the loose translation of its name. “Opening of the mind” is that what I’ll be learning? To open my mind?’

‘Possibly.’ Tenzin nodded. I sighed, he was incredibly cryptic. ‘I cannot tell you what you will learn Angie, I can only teach you what I know, give you tools to find truth on your own.’

For just a moment I looked around the village again, I wondered if what I was seeing was purely an image I had created for myself, were these people even there? Were they practising martial arts? Was I even really talking to Tenzin?

‘I can assure you, this is all very real Angie.’ Tenzin laughed.

‘You said we trained inside my soul?’ I moved my still fatigued body to face Tenzin. He was curious about my questioning. ‘It’s my sanctuary, does that mean I can change things about it? Like maybe build something?’ 

Tenzin smiled widely and crossed his legs underneath him. ‘Would you like to try?’

I struggled for a moment to move, but soon crossed my legs underneath my body. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I felt my body being thrust backwards and descended into darkness.

 

The sun was hot on my face, it felt so good. I opened my eyes slowly to find myself back in the desert, I could see the temple in the distance and felt Tenzin just behind me.

‘Shall we get to work?’ He smiled, his youthful face staring down at me. ‘What would you like to build?’ 

I looked around and decided that there was no lack of space. I could build anything I wanted.

‘Might I suggest you start with something simple? What about your home?’ 

I stood up properly and tried to figure out where to start, this was my safe place, was it just a case of concentrating? Or, like so many things, did it take more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my version of what a soul is and what it could look like, I've taken a lot of different ideas from other people's versions to come up with my own that I am happy with and hopefully it'll serve the story well.
> 
> I'll be expanding more of it in the coming chapters and I hope you all enjoy where it is going! 
> 
> Don't forget to leave comments and let me know what you think!


	6. Home Troubles

Darren felt his tired body jolt awake. It was quiet outside, he knew that there was a cold wind that surrounded the house and he desperately wanted it to surround his body, just to refresh him a little. Why did he feel like this? Why was his body unresponsive to his requests? He could hear the screaming again, the flashing images of some city burning to the ground. It was painful to watch and Darren wanted nothing to do with it.

He dragged his body downstairs to where his parents were already up, having breakfast. It was nice to see them together, laughing and just being in love. Darren sat down, still in his long-sleeved sleep shirt and loose trousers.

‘Morning sweetheart.’ His mother smiled. ‘Feeling any better?’ His father stood up and immediately began preparing a plate of breakfast as well as some tea.

‘Not really.’ Darren mumbled, his eyes just wanting to close again. ‘I’m still tired.’

‘Here, try and eat something.’ Darren’s father said and put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. ‘You want some toast as well?’

‘I’m okay.’ Darren shook his head and tried with everything he had to eat as much as he could, aware that his parents were watching him.

‘Why don’t we all go up to the creek?’ His mother suggested. ‘Get us out the house for a while, some fresh air will do us good. Darren?’

‘Sure.’ He nodded, still concentrating on his bacon. Darren really didn’t want to leave the house, but he would never say no to his mother. 

The trek up to the creek just behind their house was longer than Darren would have liked, but he made it without a fuss, he tried to keep his body in control and willed it to keep moving. All he could think about was how if he didn’t recover soon, his quidditch career would be over. His life was on the pitch, it couldn’t be over, it was the one thing that made him special. Angie had her brain, her fame revolved on her academic achievements, saving the werewolves, that was something that would long be remembered after she died. Angie’s name would last longer than his quidditch career ever could. At best, he would keep the Hogwarts record a few years longer, until some bright young player came through and broke it again, he did it to James Potter, nothing said someone wouldn’t do it to him.

‘You alright?’ His father asked as they settled beside the calm water. Darren sat down, his black coat wrapped tightly around his body.

‘Yeah, just thinking.’ Darren half smiled.

‘Anything you want to say?’

Darren could see his mother wandering around a little further up the waterside, she was so beautiful and Darren wanted nothing more than to keep her safe from any harm.

‘Will I get better?’ Darren felt the tears welling behind his eyes. ‘Dad, I don’t feel like myself anymore. I don’t feel like a quidditch player, I feel so weak and I can’t, I can’t give up my career, it’s all I have.’

His father didn’t hesitate, he wrapped his arm around the shoulders of his son and brought him close. ‘Darren, you are a Lockwood, that means something. You are not weak, you have never been weak, you are my son and I could not have asked for better. We all have moments in our lives where we feel the strain of our responsibilities and often we feel like we are simply not enough for the people around us, but I promise, you are strong enough to stop this. You and Angie are strong enough to fight this. I wish I was half as strong as you, but I was never meant to end this, I was simply not enough.’ Darren took a breath and kept his hold on his father. ‘I love you Darren, I will always love you.’

‘I’m scared of what is happening to me.’ Darren sobbed, His father’s grip tightened on his son.

‘I know, believe me, I know how scary this can be, but just remember to keep Clara, Angie and your mother close.’ His father said. ‘Nothing compares to the love of the women closest to you.’

They sat for an hour, just taking in the cool afternoon air. Darren felt better, not energised, but at least his mind felt more settled. He had always known family was the most important thing to him and the one thing he could always rely on, but sometimes just spending time being reminded of that was just as good.

 

Remus was a little nervous, Benji was coming to the castle late in the evening to carry out a routine inspection, or so that was what the official story was. Dumbledore had asked him to come and make sure the Mirror of Erised was in functioning order as Harry had found it late one evening. Remus didn’t ask what he saw, but he knew what the Mirror showed people and he was worried about what he might have seen in it.

‘Benji.’ Remus met his old student at the castle entrance. He looked tired, his usually styled and clean cut red hair, was now messy and much more like James’s. Remus figured he just didn’t bother styling it anymore. 

‘Remus.’ Benji nodded, shaking Remus’s hand. The two men began to walk towards the third floor. ‘How have you been?’

‘The usual.’ Remus shrugged and smiled. ‘How is the family? Happy, I hope?’

Benji let out a laugh and shook his head. ‘Yeah, I mean, kids are kids right?’ Remus chuckled, having a little idea of what he was talking about. ‘They’re only a year old and they’re already outsmarting me, Jocelyne is great though, back at work which is making her happier, less stressed and we’re looking into building an extension on the house.’

‘Sounds like you’re living the dream.’ Remus smiled. ‘If you need any help, let me know, I could do with some time away from the castle.’

‘Yeah? What’s been happening?’

‘Nothing much, it’s just been a stressful year already,’ they began climbing the stairs, which moved inconveniently for them. ‘Harry is much more curious than I first realised, Angelina has been gone longer than we expected and I feel very useless to help in either regard.’ Remus sighed as they continued to climb the stairs.

‘When did she leave?’

‘End of October. She’s been gone for nearly three months now.’

‘She was in Bulgaria for a little over three months, I’m sure she’ll be back soon.’ Benji tried his best to settle Remus. ‘You know what she’s like and given who she is… well, it wouldn’t surprise me if she came back with the cure for your condition.’ There were no students around at the late hour, but Remus still appreciated Benji lowering his voice at that moment.

‘It would not surprise me either.’ Remus chuckled. They soon arrived at the third floor and Dumbledore was waiting for them.

‘Benji.’ Dumbledore greeted him like his own son. ‘I’m glad you made it safely. Remus, will you accompany us?’

‘Of course.’ Remus nodded, he didn’t really want to, but if Dumbledore asked him to do something, he wasn’t one to refuse. 

Remus and Benji took Dumbledore’s arms and the three of them apparated down to the chamber where the stone was being kept. Remus still couldn’t quite believe that Dumbledore could actually apparate in and around the castle, but it was one of the perks of being headmaster he supposed. 

Dumbledore indicated the Mirror, which Benji approached, pulling his wand out and carrying out the ministry checks. Remus just stared at the Mirror and for a moment he was mesmerised by what he saw.

He was so healthy, his face was full and his eyes were as wide as his smile. He was a little heavier, the indication of a life lived without the burden of lycanthropy. Angelina stood next to Remus, she kissed him and stared at him with such adoration, until a small boy ran up to her, beautiful blue orbs and sandy hair. Remus’s son, so happy, smiling and running up to Angelina, she picked up the boy, no older than five and kissed him. Remus kissed Angelina and his son and smiled. 

Remus felt his heart groan, he would love to have that life, to have that chance at life. He couldn’t bring himself to stare at the Mirror any longer, he turned away and waited for Benji to complete his inspection. The truth of it was that none of the men in the chamber believed that the Stone could have been in unsafe hands, but the minister had asked to be sure and Benji drew the short straw. Dumbledore had no complaints about the ordeal.

‘I take it you placed the charm on yourself?’ Benji asked and Dumbledore nodded. ‘Well then, I’m sure I’ll not need to do any more than that then.’ 

Remus turned back to see the Dumbledore was watching him from the corner of his eye. Benji came around to the front of the Mirror and did a double take. Something was catching his eye in the Mirror as well.

‘Many have gone mad staring their lives away in front of this mirror.’ Dumbledore suddenly said. Remus felt himself not wanting to leave, the desire to have what the mirror showed was a little overpowering. ‘Let us not dwell for too long.’

Remus, before he could let himself be sucked in by the Mirror’s power, grabbed Dumbledore’s arm and the three of them apparated out of the chamber. Remus felt his heart suddenly empty of everything that the mirror had filled it with.

‘Well, I’d best get back.’ Benji smiled and Dumbledore shook his hand, nodding.

‘I’ll walk you to the gate.’ Remus volunteered. He needed the cool air.

‘In that case, Benji, I hope your report goes well. Remus, I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.’ The headmaster began walking in the opposite direction to his office and Remus and Benji frowned momentarily before shaking their heads and heading back down the stairs.

‘So, when is the last time you actually heard from Angie?’ Benji chuckled.

‘Erm… around a week ago, she said she was safe and that she would write again soon.’ Remus nodded, still the image of a happy family was plastered to brain. 

‘Oh really? I’ve not heard from her since we went to Jack’s grave. She was supposed to talk to David, but I guess I wasn’t clear about why.’

‘What’s going on with David?’

‘She didn’t tell you? He’s been drinking heavily and it’s gotten worse over Christmas.’ Benji sighed, he was incredibly worried about his friend. ‘There are very loud rumours that he’s going to get fired someday soon and Cassie came to the house the other day, crying.’ They quickly caught the last staircase before it moved. ‘She said he’s drinking through the day now, she’s pretty scared. I’ve never known him to be even remotely violent when he drinks, but I suppose if Cassie’s worried, there must be a good reason.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Remus said, a genuine sadness overtook him. He hated to think that while Angelina was away, things with her friends would fall apart. ‘Do we know if there is a reason for it?’

Benji shook his head. ‘He’s always liked a drink, even when we were at school and you saw him at the wedding, but I think there’s something he’s not telling us, maybe something happened and he feels he can’t speak about it?’

Remus thought for a moment. ‘David is muggle-born.’ They made their way towards the entrance to the castle. ‘Magic can be overwhelming for the most focussed of people, it might not be at the forefront of his mind, but it could be a contributing factor.’

‘Hadn’t thought of that actually.’

Remus nodded and looked out over the dark grounds. ‘Would it help if I went to see him? Talked to him about what might be bothering him?’

Benji took a breath. ‘To be honest, I can’t see how it would hurt. If you think it’ll help then by all means go ahead, just let me know what he says?’

‘Of course, I’ll plan a visit over the weekend and let you know.’ Remus nodded, they reached the gates and Benji held his hand out for Remus to shake. ‘It was good to see you again Benji.’

‘You too Remus, I hope it’s not too long before we see each other again.’ Benji smiled and headed out of the castle gates to apparate home.

Remus breathed in the cool night air and looked up at the clear sky. He felt his mind come back to earth for a moment and it was enough to rid himself of the image of Angelina. He could only really dream of her that night and all the things he wanted to do with her, which also included waking to a slight discomfort in his underwear.


	7. David's Hour of Need

Remus was cautious when knocking on the black door of the townhouse, he had written to David saying he would visit, but he still wasn’t quite sure of what he was walking into. David opened the door and smiled widely at his old professor.

‘Remus!’ He said and stood out of the way. ‘Come in, come in, it’s good to see you.’ 

Remus stepped into the surprisingly clean and tidy, contemporary home of David Wales. He was dressed like any normal twenty-one-year-old, dark jeans, white t-shirt to cover his broad frame and a red v neck jumper over the top. 

‘David, how are you?’ Remus asked, seeing David’s brown bloodshot eyes and knowing the answer was not the one he would give. 

‘Yeah, really great.’ He nodded and led Remus through to the beautiful kitchen area where David already had the water boiling. ‘Tea?’

‘That would be lovely, thank you.’ Remus smiled, gently.

‘Oh yeah, just put your stuff over the back of the sofa, I need to fix the coat hook in the cupboard,’ David laughed, pouring the tea. ‘Just not had the chance yet.’

Remus took his travelling cloak off, leaving him in just his green cardigan, t shirt and usual thick trousers. David invited him to sit at the island as he placed a mug of tea in front of him.

‘So, what can I do for you?’ David leaned casually against the kitchen counter and observed Remus.

‘I just thought I’d come over and see how you’re adjusting.’ Remus tried to sound as casual as possible. ‘My mother was a muggle and even though she was very open to magic, it still took her a while to adjust to it being part of her every day life. I just wanted to make sure you’re not struggling with anything.’ 

David watched him and Remus had the distinct impression that he was debating lying again.

David gave a small chuckle. ‘Can I assume that Benji has spoken to you then?’ 

Remus nodded and tried to be as gentle as he could. ‘I think he might be worried that you’re not taking care of yourself. He mentioned you’ve been drinking a lot more than you used to?’

It was at that moment that David couldn’t hold himself together any longer, the usually cool and composed young man, began sobbing. Remus stood up and carefully put his hand on David’s shoulder, not quite anticipating the death hug he would be caught in, but Remus didn’t let him go, he allowed David all the time in the world to vent and let go of everything he needed to get rid of.

‘I’m sorry.’ David finally said and let go of Remus slowly.

‘No, no, don’t ever be sorry.’ Remus said, quietly. ‘We all feel like this sometimes and it’s alright. Why don’t we talk about it?’ 

Remus brought David to sit at the island with him. He had all the patience in the world and waited for David to start speaking. They talked for hours and Remus soon found that David’s troubles began while he was still in Hogwarts. He had become overwhelmed with the amount of female attention he got and was unsure how to deal with it, he didn’t seem to have anyone he could talk to about how uncomfortable he felt and none of his friends noticed. Jack may have been the only one to come close to understanding, but he no longer had Jack as an option.

It was clear that Jack’s death was a tipping point for David as well as Angelina leaving for Tibet. Remus tried to be as understanding as he could, but he really had no advice to offer. He was scared that Cassie would break off the engagement and that he would be left entirely alone. 

‘I want to stop drinking, but I’m scared.’ David let a few more tears go. ‘What if I get worse? What if I’m not strong enough?’

‘David,’ Remus stopped his train of thought. ‘You can do this, Cassie will be here to help as soon as you ask her, Benji and Jocelyne will never be far away and if you really feel like you’re failing, my door is open as it always has been. You are not weak David, none of you are and in time you will come to see that as clearly as I do.’

David sniffed and nodded. ‘Thank you, Remus. Thank you for coming over here.’

‘Of course, keep in touch and I suggest you go to St Mungo’s to see if they can help make this easier for you.’ 

‘I will.’ David nodded and stood up to hug Remus. He was again, slightly overwhelmed by David’s strength, but didn’t say anything.

Remus soon left David’s home and wished him well, taking out a piece of paper that had Benji’s home address on it. Jocelyne had invited Remus over for dinner so that he could report on David’s condition and Remus accepted happily.

He wasn’t sure why he was spending so much time concerned with Angelina’s friends, but a part of him felt that someone should be in her place looking out for them. He found a safe spot to apparate to Benji and Jocelyne’s home on the edge of a village and carefully looked around in case any muggles saw him. He was safe enough.

It reminded him of James and Lily’s home, cosy and warm, a real family home. He knocked on the white wood door and listened to the sounds of Jocelyne shouting for Benji to do something. Remus chuckled quietly to himself.

‘Remus.’ The beautiful blonde answered the door and Remus recognised the tired look in her eyes. ‘Come in, Benji’s in the kitchen.’ She said, standing to one side and letting Remus through. Their home was exactly the way Remus remembered James and Lily’s home when they first had Harry, that combination of trying to keep it clean and tidy and half way towards giving up.

‘Good evening Jocelyne.’ Remus hugged her and took his cloak off. She hugged like a mother.

‘Is that Remus?’ Benji called and appeared holding what was presumably his son Jackson, he looked so much like a young father, but a father nonetheless and it made Remus very proud.

‘Yeah, he’s just coming.’ Jocelyne smiled and guided Remus through to where Benji was standing.

‘This must be Jackson,’ Remus smiled and said his hello to the red headed one year old.

‘Just about to put them down to sleep,’ Benji nodded. ‘We’ve had a long day, haven’t we?’ 

The bright eyed young boy began giggling at Remus and he didn’t mind in the slightest. He felt something knocking against his shoe and looked down to see another red headed one year old trying to get his attention.

‘Hello there.’ Remus bent down and took the toy Harper was handing him, she began laughing as he played with her a little.

‘I’ll come back down for her.’ Benji told Jocelyne. ‘He’s just a bit restless.’

‘Thank you.’ Jocelyne kissed her son good night.

Remus got the impression that Benji hadn’t been around much that week and Jocelyne was left to look after the twins on her own, but it looked like they had it worked out. Remus was still playing with Harper who had begun sliding onto his lap and continued to play with her toy lion.

‘Do you want some tea? Or I can get you a butterbeer, Merlin knows I need one.’ Jocelyne laughed.

‘Whatever you’re having.’ Remus laughed and moved his hand to create small dancing figures to keep Harper occupied until her father came back for her. He could feel Jocelyne’s eyes on him and her daughter.

‘Wow, never been able to keep her attention on anything,’ she chuckled. ‘Angie is the only person who managed to keep them quiet last time she was here.’ 

Remus laughed. ‘Well, I spent enough time around Harry when he was born, I became very accustomed to keeping him occupied while his parents were catching up with each other.’

Jocelyne watched for a while. Remus could feel Harper growing tired against his stomach as she leaned back onto him, just about keeping a hold on her toy. He continued to make the figure dance in front of Harper, until she was finally sleeping soundly.

‘Right, where’s-‘ Benji said coming in, Jocelyne quickly pressed her finger to her lips, indicating where Remus was cradling their sleeping daughter. Benji smiled down at Remus, who kept Harper comfortable and stood to hand her over to her father. Benji shook his head and indicated that Remus should follow him upstairs. ‘Best not to disturb her too much.’ He whispered in explanation.

Remus entered into the dimmed room that obviously belonged to Jackson and Harper, Jackson was sleeping peacefully in his cot and Remus, as carefully as he could placed the sleeping girl in the empty cot on the other side of the room. She wriggled around slightly and Remus helped pull her shirt down so that she would be more comfortable. Harper soon settled and Remus turned to Benji who was smiling down at his daughter.

He wondered briefly if this was what a normal life looked like. It seemed so safe, so warm and gentle and a part of Remus craved it so much, but then he reminded himself he’d fallen for the wrong woman if what he was looking for was a quiet and normal life.

The two men headed back downstairs.

‘Thanks for that.’ Benji said, still keeping his voice low until they reached the kitchen. 

‘It’s no problem at all, I know having children can be stressful.’ Remus smiled as they began taking their seats at the dinner table. ‘But you both seem to be adjusting to it quite well.’

He watched the both of them smiling at each other and there was something very tired about them both.

‘We’re doing the best we can.’ Jocelyne said, handing Remus a butterbeer. ‘Anyway, how are you? Heard from Angie recently?’ The three of them slipped into casual conversation about things that were happening at the school as well as Angelina’s progress in Tibet which seemed to be slow by all accounts.

‘At least she’s alive.’ Benji said, finishing his pasta.

‘Benji.’ Jocelyne playfully hit him.

‘What? Oh, come on, every time that woman goes somewhere, the only thing I ever worry about is if she has found something that might kill her. You know what she’s like.’ Benji said very honestly and even Remus had to laugh.

‘Benji has a point.’ Remus admitted. ‘It’s all I ever really ask now as well.’ Remus sighed and sipped his butterbeer. ‘But she tells me she is safe so that’s good.’

‘I can’t imagine what it’s like for you Remus.’ Jocelyne shook her head. ‘It’s bad enough for me the way she just gets up and leaves for these places, anything could happen.’

‘She’s curious,’ Remus shrugged. ‘I can hardly be the one to stop her exploring the world. It’s not like I can go with her anyway.’ He hadn’t meant to lower the tone of the room, but the last statement hung in the air for a moment or two. ‘Sorry, I meant that-‘

‘It’s fine.’ Jocelyne shook her head. ‘We understand. Let’s talk about David, how’s he doing?’

Jocelyne began clearing the table of empty plates and went to the fridge to grab more butterbeers for everyone. Remus explained David’s predicament and they both promised to make a visit, or at least invite him over to see the children.

‘I think that will help,’ Remus nodded. ‘Though I suggest doing it sooner rather than later, give him something to look forward to.’

‘Can I ask a personal question?’ Benji said, sitting back down after setting the dishes to clean themselves. Remus gestured for him to go ahead. ‘You helped Angie get off the dreamless sleep and now David with his drinking, I’m not trying to pry, but is this something you’ve experienced yourself?’ 

Remus thought for a moment. ‘In a sense.’ He nodded. ‘People like me often struggle with things like addiction and obsession, there’s nothing too dangerous about it if handled correctly, but I do have an understanding of what it is to feel like these things are your only options. They never are, there is always a way to get through without resorting to stimulants. I’m sure David will be fine given a little more time.’

‘Thank you for going over there,’ Jocelyne said, gently. ‘You didn’t need to, but we appreciate you taking time out to visit him.’

Remus raised his hand, shaking his head slightly. ‘It’s no problem at all, I’d rather Angelina didn’t come back to find her friends unhappy in anyway. This is something I can do while she’s away.’

Jocelyne gave that familiar smile and slipped her hand over Benji’s. They talked for a little while longer, before Remus needed to make his way back to the castle. He said his good byes and hugged his ex-students tightly. He hoped he did Angelina proud.

 

I felt like my ears were bleeding, the brother wouldn’t stop screaming, he kept shouting that he would kill his brother at the cost of my own. I wouldn’t let that happen, my brother would survive the same as me. We would live long happy lives.

‘You must learn to enter of your own accord.’ Tenzin barely let me rest, he helped me up and we went outside to the same spot overlooking the distant mountains. We were about to meditate again, but I couldn’t focus on anything. ‘Angie, if you do not learn to take control of your mind, you will fail.’

‘If I can just rest-‘

‘There will be no rest, not until you learn control!’ Tenzin shouted. I didn’t know what Yonten had said that had Tenzin so rattled, but it was making him push me harder than I had ever been pushed before. ‘Meditate, find your way, focus on what you need to do.’

I sat, crossing my legs and faced the mountains. I tried as hard as I could to take a deep breath and closed my eyes. Focus. I needed to find my way back to the desert, I tried visualising it in my mind, the way it felt under my skin, the vast expanse, the warm heat burning against my skin pleasantly.

I opened my eyes and for a split moment I saw it, the temple, but before I could keep a hold of it, the image slipped out of view and the distant mountains were all I could see.

‘Angie, do not give up,’ Tenzin whispered. ‘You were there, just focus, concentrate on the path.’

I took another deep breath and imagined myself sinking down into the desert. I visualised it the same as before and opened my eyes. I was there. The temple was right in front of me, I could feel the sand below my feet as I walked up to it. 

There was something else though, a presence that I couldn’t quite see. I opened my mind to what was already there and saw the outlines of memories appearing in front of me, but it was like there was something in the corner of my eye and it kept moving just out of sight. Was there someone else here? Something that shouldn’t have been?

I wandered through each outline that gradually with each visit I made became clearer, and I tried to follow the outline that I couldn’t quite see, the one in the corner of my eye. The sky above me clapped with thunder and I looked up to see a bubble, completely white, floating through the angry clouds. It was the white room, the same one that I had once communicated with the brother in. Something was telling me to remain cautious of it.

It hit me all of a sudden, Tenzin didn’t tell me how to get out of this place. He was so eager for me to get in, to concentrate enough that I could find it, but he never mentioned how I was supposed to get out. A moment of panic passed over me, before I decided that Tenzin wouldn’t leave me in here without some way to get out. I wandered into the temple and tried to find some kind of door that would allow me to leave.

It had to have been hours, days, at least five or six days of searching every single door or secret trap door. I’d found a lot of interesting things behind those doors, but none of them was what I was looking for. The one thing that caught my attention was a black bowl filled with water, it looked a lot like a pensieve and every so often I would go back to the room I found it in and inspect it. I didn’t dare touch it or try to activate it, not until I had more of an understanding of what I might have found, but it was definitely something to keep in mind.

The image of the room began slipping out of focus and I found myself midway between the wooden smell of the temple and the smell of the fresh mountain air. I let go of the temple and took a deep breath of fresh air. I was back.

‘Angie?’ Tenzin was right next to me and I was scared that he would yell at me again, but his face didn’t quite match that intention. ‘You did it. Time to rest.’

As soon as he said it, I felt my stiff body fall backwards and relax into sleep, finally.

 

I had been asleep a lot longer than before, because I woke suddenly feeling refreshed and much more alive than I had done previously. My sleep was dreamless and it had been bliss, no dreams, no screams, no brother. Perfect. I opened my eyes and could hear the sounds of the morning outside, the light wind, the sound of the birds and… Ruben.

I lifted my head to see him watching me from the end of my bed, he sat next to a stack of mail that was presumably from my parents and friends. I felt my body for a moment, nothing seemed to ache too much, just a little tension in my back, but then ever since I broke it the first time, I’d had minor problems.

I moved my hand to feel around for my book to see if Remus had written, it was then that Pema came in with fresh flowers, she smiled and handed me the book that was just out of reach.

‘Good morning.’ She said brightly and removed the dying flowers from the vase close to my head. ‘Sleep well?’

I nodded, not quite feeling my throat just yet. 

‘I expect so, you’ve been unconscious for two days now.’ Pema smiled sweetly. I wasn’t surprised to find that I’d been sleeping for two days, but I was more surprised when she blurted out that I had been meditating for six days. ‘It’s quite an achievement, I expect Yonten will speak to you soon about it. Tenzin is very proud, his finest student he says, but he is wary that you still have a lot to learn.’

‘Six days.’ I breathed, unable to quite comprehend the fact that I had been sitting in the same spot, meditating for six days straight.

‘Angie.’ Tenzin’s voice came from the door. I felt hot and I knew I was still sweating heavily, but I didn’t feel quite as worn down as I had in recent times. I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, trying to gulp down as much water as I could. ‘Relax, relax. There’s no rush, not just yet anyway.’ The ancient man shuffled to the wooden chair next to my bed, giving Pema a small, respectful bow as they passed each other.

‘Was it really six days?’ I asked, feeling my chest grow a little tight.

Tenzin sat and took a moment to get comfortable. He inhaled deeply, thinking on where to start. ‘Angie, do you know the longest anyone here has been able to concentrate on a single thought?’ I shook my head, of course I didn’t know, I didn’t know anything. ‘The longest was Yonten, nearly twenty-two years ago, he meditated for eighteen hours straight, none of us had seen anything like it before. And now, you come along and meditate for six days, you didn’t break your concentration, you kept your focus and now we can proceed to the next step of your training. Now you will learn how to utilise your power properly.’

‘Wait, wait… please just stop for a second…’ I panted. ‘Tenzin, I have no idea why I’m doing any of this, I have no idea what it is you think I’m supposed to be. I’m just… I’m not anyone important really, I mean the ministry have me as an expert, but that’s about as far as it goes. You know about the brother, about his soul living next to mine, you clearly know that he’s trying to stop me from doing anything that isn’t killing my brother, but can we just stop and talk for a moment… can you just tell me what you are training me for? Because I don’t feel like I’m finding a way to get rid of the brother here.’

Tenzin blinked and watched me for a moment.

‘Angie, a war is coming whether you are ready or not. It was prophesised that a young wolf would be the only one who had strength enough to win the war, the only one capable of tipping the balance.’

I let my breath go. ‘I’m sorry, but I… I’m not a fighter, I’m hardly above average in duelling, I’m a researcher.’

‘You are unique. You may not feel like it, but I assure you, you are the one who will save us all.’

I didn’t really know what else to say, I wasn’t the kind of person who could lead anyone into a war and I wasn’t someone who wanted to. I didn’t want to fight. Remus had always taught me that there was always an alternative solution, one that was peaceful. So, how could my destiny involve anything as violent as that? That wasn’t the future I was building for myself, my future would have Remus and my brother and my family whole and happy. That was my future.

‘In time you will see.’ Tenzin said, before leaving me alone to rest for a while.

 

Remus,

I’m sorry I haven’t written for nearly two weeks, it sounds ridiculous to say, but I was meditating. Apparently, I was doing it for six days… I’m sorry that sounds like some poor excuse that I made up to cover up my curiosity. It’s true, but I have no way of proving it. 

I can’t ask you for any more patience, but I can’t give up on this. I don’t know what to do.

They seem to think that a war is coming and that I’m supposed to tip the balance, but that can’t be right, I’m not some warrior or soldier or anything, I’m just Angie. I’m no different to anyone else, so why do they think I’m supposed to be someone I’m not? 

I’m afraid that I’m turning into something I’m not, I’m scared that I might come back different and I’ll lose you. You’re the whole reason I’m here, I want us to have a future, a life together and I don’t want to be anything other than what I was when I was happy. 

I hope I can come home soon so I can tell you more about what I’m doing here. 

I don’t know when that will be, I hope it’s soon, but I have a good feeling that it won’t be. I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me for staying away from you.

Yours always

Angelina

 

It was weak at best. Remus would probably take one look at it and agree, but potentially he would show some mercy on me and tell me what I needed to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into David's situation! 
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> Remember to leave comments or catch up with me on Tumblr!
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> Love Jadders92


	8. Valentine's Day

This was it, this was the day he would finally ask her to be his. He put on his dark jeans and cream jumper, the one she liked wearing. They were going to lunch and Darren had done everything he could to make her feel special. He stood styling his hair perfectly, Angie would have called him an idiot for even attempting to tame his dark messy locks.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like he could handle the low-level ringing in his ears, he could handle the occasionally flashing images of gruesome acts of cruelty. He could handle himself.

Darren raced down the stairs to the kitchen where his mother was resting after a long weekend fighting in the south of England, his father was wrapping another blanket around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

‘Well, look at you.’ She said, smiling. Darren just laughed and grabbed his long black coat. ‘Today the big day?’

‘I hope so.’ He smiled and kissed his mother gently. 

‘Good luck, son.’ His father hugged him so tightly. ‘I’m so happy for you.’ 

‘I’ll let you know how it goes.’ Darren winked and rushed out the house, throwing his coat around his shoulders and apparating to Diagon Alley, just outside Clara’s flat. He felt his palms getting a little sweaty as he knocked on the door.

 

Remus felt an ache in his chest as he woke, it was Valentine’s Day and he should have been spending it with Angelina. Though it was school day, he should at least have spent the weekend with her, but instead, he would be teaching all day and then sitting miserably at the usual feast. Remus debated not going, but then once again he may have been noticed by his absence.

The last letter from Angelina had his mind in a daze, he’d heard that phrase before from the sorting hat. The hat had said that she would be the one to tip the balance as well but was uncertain in which direction. Remus felt a responsibility to ensure she makes the right choices, Angelina was a good person, she didn’t need guidance on the right choice, but she had spent so long in so much pain that she might have found one option easier than the other. 

He wasn’t sure what to do, he couldn’t talk to anyone about this, save her friends, but they didn’t have the whole story, they probably didn’t know what she was really doing in Tibet. Remus decided to leave replying to the letter until a little later in the day when his head was clearer.

Most of the students were very loved up, the ones that were in relationships anyway. The ones who had crushes were finally coming out and saying it and some were met with acceptance, others were met with rejection. Remus tried not to get too involved in his student’s affairs, unless they asked him specifically for advice and only then would he offer some meek form of wisdom. 

‘…right, last question of the day and we’ll have an early finish.’ Remus quickly looked at the description in his book of a few dark creatures he had introduced to his sixth years. ‘What spell could you use to repel Inferi?’

Very few hands went up, but Remus was glad to see at least some of them had studied before the class, however, the majority were female. Remus felt a groan in his chest. 

‘Millie, enlighten us.’ She was a safe option considering her involvement with Nathan.

‘Firestorm?’

Remus would have preferred it if she hadn’t asked it, but she was right all the same. 

‘Correct. Firestorm is an incredibly difficult spell to master, but it would fend off enough Inferi for you to get away.’ Remus nodded and snapped the book closed, throwing it gently onto his desk. 

‘Can you do it?’ She had suddenly asked. Remus blinked.

‘I can. I haven’t needed to for a long time now, but I have in the past.’ Remus frowned, wondering where she might have been going with her line of questioning. She didn’t press the subject any further though. ‘It’s not a common spell one usually performs and is only reserved for life threatening situations… I think that’s all for today, please ensure you read the necessary chapters on the unforgiveable curses and we will continue next week. In the meantime, happy Valentine’s day and I hope you all have a good weekend.’

Remus leaned against the desk at the side of his classroom as usual and waited for the students to leave. He could feel his mind going back to the war, the memories overwhelming him for just a few moments, before he took a deep breath and decided he needed to relax properly in the shower.

 

Angelina,

I told you before, you have all of my patience. I can’t deny, I’m a little agitated that you didn’t write for so long, but I trust that you have good reason, if you say you were meditating, then that’s good enough for me. 

I didn’t want to say this through a letter, but I think given your position, it needs to be said. Angelina, you are different. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is. You were born with a burden you didn’t ask for, your intelligence rivals Dumbledore’s, you have qualities very few people possess and all of this makes you suited for a much harder life than you anticipated. I’m so sorry that life has chosen you, but I can’t think of anyone better to live up to these responsibilities than you.

Angelina, I think you should trust in these people a little more, they are saying things that make a lot of sense. No one in their right mind believes that Voldemort is truly gone and with many of his followers still at large, it would be wise to prepare for a war should one come. You are extraordinary and he will see that as a weapon, please don’t make any rash decisions, if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Remember the maze, you got through on instinct, the horntail, your wit saved you and the lake, a good heart goes a long way. 

I’m sorry my advice isn’t what you wanted to hear, but I have growing fears that something big is coming, we can all feel it. I just ask that you come back to me in one piece, safe and happy. 

Work hard, Angelina, the sooner you understand their teachings, the better off you will be.

I love you

Yours

Remus

 

I wasn’t sure what to think, what did he mean, a weapon? I wasn’t a weapon, how could anyone see me like one?

I sat in my same meditating spot and thought for a while, Remus knew something that he wasn’t telling me, it was too quick a turn around for him to go from worrying about my safety to encouraging me to learn how to prepare for a war. I didn’t know what it was I was supposed to do.

‘Lack of direction is hardly a reason not to try.’ Tenzin said, sitting beside me. I smiled up at his aged face, he was really my only friend in this place. ‘Well that’s very flattering, but more pressing matters require our attention. You remember you said you saw a room with something you couldn’t explain? Well, I want you to picture it for me so that I may see it for myself.’ 

I closed my eyes and did as he asked, I tried to remember the details of the room, the red patterned rug that sat beneath the pensieve with it’s clawed, white stone feet. It sat in the middle of a room that had red wood walls and white marble floors. There were a few cracks on the walls, but nothing of note. 

‘Hmmm.’ I heard Tenzin thinking out loud and it momentarily distracted me. I opened my eyes and watched as Tenzin went into his own meditation for a few moments. ‘I think we should look inside, I will be your tether.’

‘Wait, what?’

‘Concentrate Angie, we will do this together. Leave no room without knowing exactly what is inside it. That is the way to enlightenment.’ 

Tenzin didn’t wait for me to say yes, he took me back to the desert and we carefully navigated through the outlines of memories towards the temple, I was almost running to keep up with the young teacher. We finally reached the room and the black pensieve sat exactly the way it was when I left it. 

Tenzin was already sealing the door as I stepped up to the pensieve. I wasn’t exactly sure of what the pensieve would show me once I activated it.

‘Angie, I will hold them back, enter the pensieve, but do not spend too long in there.’ Tenzin said and immediately I heard a loud screeching from beyond the door. ‘We might not have the time right now.’ 

I could feel a panic building in my chest. What was inside the pensieve? And why wouldn’t we have enough time to explore it? Surely, if this was inside my soul, then this was me, my memories.

I stepped up to the pensieve and did as Tenzin asked. The temple began slipping away and was replaced by what looked a lot like the base of the Alban Hills. It was summer, but I couldn’t quite feel the heat of the sun or any sort of breeze on my face. There were people everywhere, dressed in slightly dirty tunics and sandals, most of them were trading with each other or laughing and drinking outside, what was presumably a pub.

As I wandered a little further outside the settlement, I had the feeling like some kind of rope was attached to my waist. It must have been the tether Tenzin was talking about.

Something was pulling me out of the settlement and so I followed the path that led to outskirts. I could hear a faint sobbing noise coming from what appeared to be a shallow river running past the village. I navigated my way towards the sound of the sobbing and saw that a young boy, around six years old with thick, curled, blonde hair was crying, his leg looked badly injured and a stream of blood was pouring from it.

He looked up and past where I was standing to another little boy who looked exactly the same. He was rushing over to where I was and looked very worried. 

‘Remus! What have you done?’ He said and bent down splashing some cool water on the wound to clean it. ‘I’ll get mother, just wait here.’

‘Hurry Romulus! It hurts!’

The boy called Romulus ran back the way he came to find his mother and left Remus sitting on his own, still splashing water over his leg, trying to keep it clean. He was clearly in pain and I hated to see it. I looked to where Romulus should have been coming back, but he was nowhere in sight. Remus was alone for the longest time, crying.

I looked up once more to see if Romulus was coming back and thought I saw something strange in the distance. A big black figure running very fast towards me, it didn’t exactly feel like I was in any danger, but I worried for the young boy.

The invisible rope around my waist began tugging hard and before I could get a good look at the black figure, I was being pulled back out of the pensive and into the temple again. It was just in time to help Tenzin push back the tar enemies from the temple doors and send them away.

Tenzin sat down exhausted on the steps of the temple and tried to catch his breath.

‘What did you see?’ He panted.

I shook my head. ‘It wasn’t my memories, it was his. From when he was a child, Remus grazed his knee and Romulus went to get their mother.’

‘Did you see her?’ I shook my head again and Tenzin sighed. ‘I am sorry, I held them back for as long as I could.’

I frowned for a moment. All this time I had thought that the creatures who attacked the temple were built especially for me to practise fighting. ‘What are they?’

‘The brother, trying to infect you.’ Tenzin didn’t even hesitate to tell me. ‘Angie, have you not worked it out by now? The more you resist him, the more you build here and the more you ignore him, the less of a hold he has on you. The brother will try again and again to latch onto parts of your soul, parts you can’t see and try to control you. It is so important that you learn to see what is already in front of you.’ Tenzin seemed to struggle for a moment. ‘We are running out of time, it has taken a lot for me to bring us here, but I will explain something else for you to think on… that pensive is your way to understand both of the brothers, it is as I suspected. The pensive sits within your soul not his, this must be how he is able to communicate with you so easily and I imagine your own brother is the same.’

‘Darren.’ 

‘Angie, I’m sorry, but we must leave. Do not speak of this out loud, I will teach you a new way to communicate without alerting the brother to what you now know. I imagine you already know that he can only access what you see and hear, not your thoughts. Those are safe, for now.’

‘For now?’

‘Angie, we must go.’

Before I could question him any further, I was opening my eyes, smelling the mountain air. It was once again peaceful for a precious few seconds, before the screaming of the brother pierced my ears, louder than it had ever been. I clasped my ears, trying to drown it out, but it just got louder and louder. I didn’t even know that I had begun screaming as well, somehow thinking it would help.

 

I found myself waking up once again to a sharp ringing in my ears. It wasn’t the screaming from before, but it was still a little painful. I didn’t feel as bad as I had done since arriving in the village, I was just a little tired and groggy. My head was pounding and all I could think about was the little boy beside the river. I sat up in bed and saw that once again Pema had put fresh flowers in the vase next to my bed. 

I could just about hear the sounds of people talking, and I suddenly remembered what Tenzin had said about the brother only being able to hear and see what I do. Tenzin. I got up with a little stiffness in my joints and tried to get outside my room as fast as my body would let me. 

Nothing looked out of place. Pema was gardening over the far side and the warriors were training the same as they did every day. I turned towards the monastery and saw that Yonten was discussing something with a few of the other Oracles. It looked like there was some kind of disagreement between them. Tenzin was nowhere to be seen.

The Oracles began heading back into the monastery and I knew I couldn’t follow, it was a sacred place to them and could only be entered when invited. So, what exactly was it I was supposed to be doing? Maybe another letter to Remus would have cleared my mind a little more? Maybe not?

 

Remus,

I can’t say much just now. But I’m making progress. I will tell you everything when I can, but right now, it’s not safe. I’m okay, but this form of communication is a little dangerous. I’ll explain when I can.

I hope you are well and I understand what you were saying, I believe you and I am still working towards the future.

Yours 

Angelina

 

I didn’t believe for a second that the brother could not see past my cryptic message, Remus wasn’t his concern, I was. 

I sat in my usual spot looking out at the mountains and thought about what I saw inside the pensieve, the memory itself was a little off, I couldn’t really feel anything, the sounds of the people in the village were hazy and I couldn’t feel the heat of the sun. Memories could be altered, I knew that much, but then what reason would the brother have to alter it unless he knew I would see it. He had no access to my safe place, no way of knowing exactly what it was I did there, so he couldn’t know that I’d found the pensieve. 

The only two options about whose memory it was left me no further forward. Either Remus genuinely didn’t remember the details or Romulus had fabricated some aspects of that day. Both were plausible, both were possible and both left me still with the questions, which brother did I play host to? 

‘He’s feeling better.’ A voice came from behind me. Pema. ‘Tenzin will be fine in the morning and then the two of you can meditate once again. He has asked me to pass on a message, he says: “do not enter without him, time is not on our side.” If you ask me, I think you should listen to him, we humans are dangerous creatures, most especially to ourselves.’

Pema left before I could respond and I wondered what exactly had happened to Tenzin, whatever it was, I wouldn’t get his help anytime soon. I had asked to rest so many times before and this may have been one of the few days I would actually get to myself.

Tenzin had said he would teach me a new way to communicate and I had been wondering how else I might speak with other people, maybe there was a way to talk to Darren without alerting the brothers. Maybe we could finally put an end to all of this together. 

I missed Darren, he had asked Clara to marry him and I was so happy that she said yes, they fit so well together and I hoped that she would be for him what Remus was for me. I remembered the word Tenzin used. Tether.


	9. How They Came To Be

The two young boys with curled blonde hair, no older than ten, were fighting beside the river, Remus managed to get the advantage and threw his hand towards where a small dagger lay beneath a tree, it immediately came to him. He pointed it at Romulus and winked.

‘I win.’ He panted and helped his brother up. 

‘We should get back, mother will be wondering where we are.’ Romulus wiped the dirt from his grubby clothes. Neither of them looked like they came from a wealthy family, I had read somewhere that they descended from kings, but these looked like two boys from a poor home. 

‘One more round.’ Remus whined, and Romulus laughed, debating it in his head for a moment. 

‘Alright, but you can be the one to get shouted at this time.’ They both laughed and circled each other liked trained warriors and not like children.

The more I watched them as children, the more I could see just how powerful they were, skilled in combat and intelligent beyond any normal ten year old. I wondered what exactly led to their downfall, nothing in their early years indicated any sort of resentment, nothing resembled anything other than love for each other. Much like myself and Darren.

 

The brothers were approaching thirteen, the age they were considered men. They fought each other every day in training, they knew each other so well and eventually got to the point where they would stop out of exhaustion, not because there was a clear winner and it put a fear in me that I had never known. 

They worked on a farm and did chores for the farmer there, their mother nowhere to be found, only ever talked about. Why couldn’t I see her? My first time in the Pensieve was the closest I had come to seeing her. I was sure the black figure was her, I was almost certain, I kept thinking about it and tried so hard to picture her again, but it was no use, I just couldn’t get a clear image in my mind.

Romulus and Remus worked together on the farm, helping each other and laughing all day at a joke or something that happened. They were well liked within the Alban Hills and everyone thought very highly of their abilities, they even excelled in the magical community as well. When they spoke of their lessons with their mother, it was clear that they were very gifted and had a tough time keeping themselves in check, much the same as I had when I was first at Hogwarts.

The more I watched them working, the more similarities I could see between myself and the brothers and I couldn’t help but wonder if my life really was predetermined.

 

‘This is unacceptable!’ One of the soldiers had been sent to the farm to ask why the usual crop was lacking, though he didn’t seem to do much asking. The brothers had just turned fifteen and were watching from the stable. Romulus was especially unhappy about it all.

‘We should be out there with him.’ Romulus said quietly.

‘He’ll be okay. The soldier will leave soon.’ Remus held his brother in place. I thought it strange that Remus, being the more eager to play fight, was less inclined to encourage real conflict. 

‘Faustulus, I will not ask again, give us the rest of your crop or you will be punished!’ The soldier shouted. 

‘I-I-I’m sorry, I-I don’t have a-anything else to-to give.’ Faustulus the farmer was cowering on the floor and the brothers were suddenly more alert. The soldier didn’t hesitate, he kicked Faustulus hard in the chest and Romulus was the first out of the stable with Remus close behind.

Romulus sprinted and pushed the soldier off of his feet while Remus stood, hesitating for a moment. It wasn’t long before the brothers were kicking the soldier hard wherever they could find a body part. 

‘Stop.’ Faustulus coughed. ‘My boys, stop.’

Remus was the first to stop, he pushed his brother off of the soldier to make him stop and they looked down at what they had done. A woman rushed out of the house and knelt down to see the farmer, presumably this was his wife, but it wasn’t their mother.

The soldier was barely breathing. ‘We should finish him.’ Romulus growled, he sounded more like a wolf when angry. 

‘No.’ Remus cut in. ‘It wouldn’t be right… we should send him back to the king, make him see that his soldiers aren’t welcome here. Make him see what will happen if they send anymore soldiers to the Alban Hills.’

‘My boys.’ Faustulus coughed again, he was in a lot of pain and his wife could only do so much to help him. It was clear that the older man did not want them to do anything they would regret, but they were growing bigger and stronger with each day that passed and I wondered how much longer it would be before they strayed further away from what was right. 

The brothers tied the soldier to his horse, blood dripping down the mane and led him to the edge of the Alban Hills. They began shouting to villages nearby, they’d had enough of the King’s reign over their land, they no longer wished to be imprisoned by him and would do everything they could to protect the Hills.

 

I recognised the cave, it was just south of the Palatine Hill, I’d heard the locals talk about it, they called it Lupercal. 

The brothers, at the age of fifteen were jogging towards it, the same as they did every morning. They were fitter than ever, strong as well, they had the backing of both the muggle and magical community since ridding the Hills of the King’s soldiers, but there seemed to be a growing state of unrest surrounding this situation.

They ventured deeper into the cave and suddenly I was looking at a new place entirely. The cave must have been an apparation site for wizards. This place was brighter, filled with more life and simply magical. It was still somewhere south of Palatine Hill, but it was unclear where exactly the site had taken us to. I could see a market where strange creatures in jars were being sold and the trader selling, offered one to the brothers, seemingly for free. 

It was obvious that just as the muggles loved the brothers, the magical community loved them just as much. They were natural leaders and had the presence to back up their leadership skills, I had a good feeling that they were being taught very advanced magic by their mother. She had to have been a witch and very likely, an animagus. Muggles often attributed their mythology to natural occurrences in the magical community. It only made sense.

The brothers headed off towards a house at the end of the street, it was a small cottage that looked slightly run down, surely not their mother’s home? 

I was suddenly inside the cottage and it looked as if it had been robbed recently, the brothers were looking through a few broken possessions, they were looking for something, possibly the very thing that had been stolen.

‘She said it would be in a wooden box.’ Remus said, Romulus looked at him and sighed, searching on top of a few cabinets, being careful not to touch anything he didn’t recognise. Romulus left and went into another room.

Remus bent down to see something that had caught his interest. It was a set of wooden coins that were left scattered over the floor, he picked a few of them up and inspected them. They just looked like family tokens, nothing of great importance, but he still felt the need to pocket five or six of them. 

‘Remus?’ Romulus called from the other. ‘I think I’ve got it.’ 

Remus wandered into the next room which appeared to be a bedroom. There was a wooden box sitting inside a much larger wooden chest. The smaller box had symbols all over it, much like the symbols I’d found on the statue back in the Alban Hills, I tried to get a closer look, but some of it was blurred, like the memory had been altered in some way.

‘Are you sure?’ Remus asked. Romulus was on one knee staring at the box, he nodded slowly without taking his eyes away from the box. ‘Okay, I’ll do it. Once it’s safe, take the box to mother, then come back for me.’ Remus took out his small dagger and placed it to the skin on his forearm.

‘No, let me do it. I’ll do this one.’ Romulus held the dagger and stopped him, he looked scared, like he knew what was about to happen. 

‘Romulus, you’re faster than me, you’ll get there quicker.’ Remus moved his brother’s hand off of the dagger and moved him to the corner of the room. ‘Just don’t forget to come back for me.’

‘I won’t.’ Romulus looked as if he was about to cry and I felt a panic surge through me.

Remus stood over the box and placed the dagger back to his forearm, he began muttering something to himself and slowly dragged the knife across to allow blood to drip out and onto the box. It took a moment, but eventually a bright light began pouring out from each of the symbols, it turned into something much darker and suddenly Remus was on the floor shaking and the room became a blur, it was dizzying and I could see flashes of what Remus could see, inferi, dementors, boggarts, horcrux, anything and everything dark came out of that box and the faded image of Romulus quickly rushing to the box, picking it up and running was the last thing I saw before Remus became entirely possessed by the darkness.

 

They were seventeen and both looked like the exhaustion of keeping the Hills safe had caught up to them. Remus was watching something across the market in the muggle settlement, while Romulus was dealing with one of the merchants, all the sound was slightly dull, like trying to hear through water. 

I followed Remus’s eyeline and found that he was watching a woman sitting beside another merchant, she had long blonde hair tied up, piercing blue eyes that were almost grey and a face that depicted everything that was innocent and youthful. The young woman looked to be around fourteen but had the air of someone much wiser. It was suddenly painfully obvious that this was the woman that Remus would come to marry. But for the moment, he was simply captivated by her, unable to focus on anything else.

Remus looked nervous, like he was thinking about something to say, something to offer in terms of conversation, but nothing came to him. So he simply watched her, he watched her every movement as she organised her family’s stand, he watched her carefully as she handled the wicker baskets that she sold and how she always smiled at every customer. 

He suddenly had an idea, without really taking his gaze away from her, Remus grabbed a few coins from Romulus as he was dealing with the merchant.

‘What are you doing?’ Romulus complained, but Remus didn’t answer, he just took the coins and made his way close to the wicker basket stand. 

Remus took a moment, pretending to look at something else, waiting for the young woman to finish with the customer she was with before making a move over to her.

‘Hello.’ She said, brightly. Her smile stretched all the way to her eyes, she looked a little tired, but it didn’t take anything away from how beautiful she was. Remus couldn’t quite find the words. ‘Is there something you’re looking for?’

Remus smiled awkwardly, still not quite knowing what to say to her. ‘You sell baskets.’ It was neither a statement or a sure sentence and he immediately regretted every word.

‘Yes.’ She laughed, she was clearly enjoying the awkward man in front of her. ‘Are you interested?’

‘Yes I am.’ Remus let out a nervous breath, knowing he had answered a little quickly and feeling like it was impossible to find a happy medium between awkward and silent and awkward and rushed.

‘I think I recognise you,’ the young woman frowned slightly. ‘I think I’ve seen you at the market before. What’s your name?’

‘Remus.’ That was an easy one and he was making it painfully clear that he was relieved by that. ‘Yours?’ His mouth was dry, he kept swallowing and taking subtle deep breaths to calm himself. 

‘Dora.’ She said, her face scrunching up slightly. ‘I hate it.’

‘I love it.’ Remus blurted again. Dora didn’t seem to mind though, she could see that Remus liked her and he was doing a bad job at playing it cool. ‘Erm… do you… work here all the time? I mean, if I come back… you’ll be here?’

Dora bit her red lip and gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. ‘I’ll be here.’ She said from under her lashes.

 

‘She’s a muggle!’ Romulus shouted. It was a week after Remus had met Dora, he had told both his mother and Romulus that he was in love with her, neither took it well. ‘She’ll never understand what we are!’

‘She isn’t like the others, I would never risk my family on anyone else.’ Remus pleaded, they had stopped working in the stables while they argued and had startled a couple of the horses. ‘Romulus, please, I’m in love with her.’

‘Mother said we cannot risk ourselves for anything,’ Romulus wasn’t backing down. ‘No one will accept us. You need to end this as soon as possible, I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.’

Remus didn’t say anything, but his demeanour suggested that he had no intention of doing any such thing.

 

‘I don’t understand.’ Dora was crying, she maybe only a year older, but Remus looked far more aged than he had the last time. He was barely eighteen and looked closer to thirty, much more like the brother I had encountered in the white room.

‘I’m sorry I lied to you.’ Remus tried to keep her clam, he thought that by bringing her to the side of the river, the most peaceful place he knew, she might have taken things a little easier. ‘But I felt like I owed you the truth, I can’t possibly hope to have a life with you if you do not understand what I am and what I am is not the same as you.’

‘But, magic isn’t real,’ Dora wasn’t handling it the way he had hoped. ‘These things don’t exist.’

Remus sighed and tried to find a way of proving himself. He quickly picked up a small stone and held it in the palm of his hand. ‘Here, watch the stone.’ He said and Dora frowned, but watched it anyway. Remus slowly allowed the stone to levitate up off his hand, it rotated carefully in mid air and Dora held her hand to her mouth.

‘It’s true.’ She whispered, her hand was at her mouth.

‘I can obviously do other things, not just raise stones.’

‘You’re a God?’ 

It was times like this that I remembered I was watching a different era in history, one where the people believed in things like Gods and monsters, it was just a part of everyday life. Remus sighed and let the stone drop back into his hand.

‘No,’ he said, gently. ‘But my mother is very powerful, she’s… well she’s not quite like me, she’s something else entirely. She can see things that others can’t and some of those things are bad, she sends my brother and I to stop those things.’

‘Like the soldiers?’

Remus slowly nodded. ‘Dora, promise me you’ll keep this to yourself, not even my brother can find out that you know. I’m risking everything just by seeing you.’

It took her a moment, those big blue eyes scanning his face and trying to figure out everything that she had seen and heard. ‘I won’t tell anyone, I promise.’

 

The whole village was being surrounded, the farmers were equipped with only their pitchforks and rakes, nothing that would stop a steel blade. The soldiers had chosen the dead of night to begin their attack and the brothers were prepared for that, they made quick work of the initial scouting parties and only let one scout make it back to the enemy. It was a vicious attack and the scout could barely speak once the brothers were done with him.

Dora was safely inside one of the houses and had kept her promise to behave as if she was no longer with Remus. Romulus wasn’t convinced and made that known any chance he got, it was the first time that the brothers had truly clashed and it was over the love of a woman, it was abundantly clear that Romulus thought Dora was beautiful as well, but as he kept saying, he wasn’t stupid enough to involve himself with her.

‘So love is stupid, is it?’ Remus whispered as they edged closer to where the bulk of the soldiers were getting ready to attack beyond the treeline.

‘Only if it is a distraction, like right now.’ Romulus hissed back and Remus kept quiet as they began taking out a few of the bulkier soldiers, they were essentially thinning the herd. 

They were older now, possibly approaching twenty, they had caused so much hassle to the king that this was the final stand they would make before going directly to him and ending his reign over their lands.

The brothers had killed close to sixty of the biggest soldiers they could find in the most brutal way possible, tearing at their limbs, breaking bones and ensuring the bodies were left mutilated so that wolves would eventually find them and get rid of the evidence. The vicious nature of their attacks didn’t seem to faze them at all and in fact they continued their conversation whilst destroying the soldier’s bodies. 

Eventually they got back to the village, overhearing one of the commanders saying that they would begin their attack within the hour. They sprinted back to the farms and alerted the villagers, happy to see that they set the traps and built the defences while the brothers were away, they didn’t have a numbers advantage but they had the home turf which was better. 

Romulus subtly re-enforced some of the defences with magic without the farmers noticing while Remus went over the plan again.

‘I can’t guarantee that everyone will survive,’ he stood high on the stacks of hay and tried to encourage the farmers to be brave, it wasn’t just the muggles he was encouraging, but a few distinct figures from the magical population as well. ‘But I can guarantee that we will be remembered regardless, our children will know that we fought with bravery, we protected our home with everything we have and we would not surrender so easily. These men fight for money, we fight for freedom!’ The crowd cheered, but it was plain to see that they were terrified. ‘Do not surrender to these cowards, be brave and you will succeed!’

The villagers had found a new bravery as they all rushed to their fighting positions within the small buildings. Romulus and Remus looked to the treeline where it was obvious that the Roman soldiers were advancing and quickly, they hid behind the hay stacks closest to the narrow entrance to the village and waited for the signal to attack. 

The battle was brutal and it was bloody, the brothers never hesitating in killing anyone, they barely even gave the soldiers a second glance before tearing their bodies apart. By morning it was clear that the village had suffered greatly, the bodies of farmers, wizards and even a few children lay along the pathways and the farmers mourned for their losses. Romulus checked the bodies of the soldiers that they hadn’t torn apart for valuables and Remus kept looking over to where Dora was tending to a few of the injured. She never once looked at him, she was so much better at pretending than he was.

‘Mother will be pleased that we have the Hills.’ Romulus said, distracting Remus’s attention, they were both covered head to toe in blood, dirt and sweat, not all of it from their own bodies. 

‘She still isn’t strong enough to come out though, she needs more time.’ Remus stood and faced his brother, they were so strong, bulky and not to be messed with, physical specimens and smart enough to back up their strength. 

‘I know,’ Romulus nodded. ‘But we’re moving in the right direction at least, we’ve killed enough soldiers that she will at least be able to wander around the caves easily enough.’

Remus gave a half smile and it seemed as if the weight of death was heavier than he first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a little different and I'm happy with the way it turned out. Most of the details of the legend of Romulus and Remus has come from the actual stories about the twins, I thought it would make it a much more relatable setting rather than creating my own world for them.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter same as always and leave a comment if you want to say hi!


	10. Missed Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying the fourth part of the series!
> 
> Don't forget to check out my Tumblr for teasers into the upcoming chapters!

Tenzin had expended far too much energy in the few weeks he had been my tether. Pema had looked after him for nearly a week before he was able to stay awake for any length of time and I was devastated to see the condition I had put him in. As hard as it was for me to continue looking into the pensive seeing what the brothers had been capable of, I couldn’t imagine what he had gone through in watching me. He kept me safe and he allowed me to enter and leave of my own accord, something that was clearly more draining than he had let on.

Yonten had asked me to join the warriors every morning that I wasn’t training with Tenzin, they went through a routine that I was struggling to understand and physically struggling to keep up with. It was similar to the combative dance Tenzin had taught me in my dreams, it required a lot more concentration and demanded more physical focus than I had realised. The only thing I could do to help myself was to try to remember my Quidditch days and how gruelling it had been to train every single day in harsh conditions.

I had a new teacher Wangchuk who was intimidating but in good spirits most days, he was a broad and muscular man, someone who spent a lot of time working on his physical strength, he was also well over one hundred years old, but with the air of a younger man about him. He explained the reasons why they trained every day and why it was so important for me to know how to physically fight.

‘Sometimes we rely too heavily on the use of tools,’ he said as I tried once again to balance on unstable planks of wood in the pond. ‘Wands have power, but that power can be expanded upon. Your body is a tool, the more physical strength you have the easier you will find it to yield your magical strength.’

‘I thought strength wasn’t everything?’ I asked, losing focus for just a second before finding my balance again. I needed to find a way from one end of the pond to the other without the use of my wand, but rather by the use of wooden planks that floated on top of the water.

‘It isn’t, but wouldn’t it have been easier to battle that dragon if you were quicker on your feet?’ He chuckled.

He had a point and just as I thought that, I lost all of my focus on the task at hand, falling into the freezing cold water of the pond. Wangchuk just looked at me and sighed.

‘Again.’ He commanded and I really had no choice but to keep going until he decided enough was enough. Unfortunately, that moment didn’t come until well into the evening hours and I was only failing because of exhaustion.

I missed Remus, I missed him so much. I wished every night that he could have been with me, giving me the extra strength I needed to succeed in the tasks I was being given, but he wasn’t, he was safe and sound back at Hogwarts exactly where he should have been. I hated to say it, but the longer I stayed in this place, the more I wondered if I would ever return home. I wasn’t learning the lessons quick enough, I wasn’t strong enough to pass whatever tests they wanted me to take and I was sure I would die without ever seeing Remus again.

 

Remus,

I miss you. I hope you’re okay, I hope you aren’t angry with me. 

I can’t say anymore on when I will return to England, but I will do everything I can to make it home to you.

Happy Birthday, I can’t believe I’m not there, but I hope you’re having fun.

Yours

Angelina

 

‘Happy birthday Remus!’ Lily kissed Remus’s cheek as he entered the Potter’s home, he hadn’t been in the best mood when he left the castle, but Lily had insisted he make the trip that morning. 

‘Thank you.’ He smiled and took his cloak and jacket off. 

‘James is in the kitchen with Clara.’ 

Remus shuffled through the cosy house and tried his best to be cheerful about his birthday, but all thoughts led him back to Angelina. James and Clara were both chatting away in the kitchen with Remus’s father sitting, catching his breath.

‘Hello father, I see they’ve roped you into the ordeal as well.’ Remus joked and gave his father’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

‘I wouldn’t miss my son’s birthday.’ Lyall chuckled, it was clear that he was getting older and less able every day, but he never once complained. ‘No Angie?’

Remus sighed and knelt beside his father. ‘I told you she’s away on a research trip.’ He carefully explained.

‘That was months ago, I thought she was coming back before Christmas.’

‘No, she is still away studying, I’m not sure when she’ll be back.’

‘Oh well… as long as she is happy and safe.’ Lyall smiled to himself more than anything. 

More people began arriving, Benji, Jocelyne and their children came for a few hours, David and Cassie arrived later in the evening and David refrained from any drinking at all, which pleased Remus, George said his hellos before needing to get home to his wife and Darren had stopped by, more to see Clara than anything and that was just fine. It was a good day all in all and Remus was glad he spent it with his friends, he needed the time to relax in a safe place where his worries couldn’t get to him.

James handed him another butterbeer while they both sat out in the garden with David. Both Lily and Cassie needed to be up early the next day and Clara had gone back with Darren. Remus couldn’t deny he was slightly worried about how possessive Darren had been with Clara, barely letting him say a word to his old friend without being watched. James had gotten the fire pit going as the evening wound down and it ended up being a very cosy night.

‘David, you as well?’ James offered another cold butterbeer and it was clear that the young trainer wasn’t sure about what he should have said.

‘Erm… no, I shouldn’t. Thank you though.’ He pulled the sleeves of his thick navy cable knit jumper awkwardly and ran a slightly scarred hand through his messy black hair. Remus could suddenly see how handsome David really was, it reminded him of Sirius.

‘Why don’t you have one with me?’ Remus handed David the beer James had given him. ‘To celebrate my thirty-second birthday.’

David looked at Remus with his dark eyes and smiled, taking the cold bottle from his hand. James nodded sitting back down and opening another drink for Remus. 

‘Happy birthday Remus.’ David said and took a gentle sip.

‘Happy birthday Moony.’ James laughed and Remus just smiled carefully turning the bottle in his hand. ‘So, David, how goes things down at the department?’

‘Good.’ David nodded and sipped his beer again, Remus could tell he was being careful not to down it all in one. ‘I’m heading to Romania at the end of the week to see about a young Norwegian ridgeback that they’ve acquired recently, I’ll only be gone for a few days and I have to admit, the last time I saw a dragon has made me nervous about the whole thing.’

‘What happened?’

‘Triwizard Tournament. Don’t get me wrong, Angie put up her best fight, but I think Remus can agree the Horntail was enough to put anyone off.’ David made Remus chuckle a little, he could see James shifting out of the corner of his eye.

‘I’ve not heard anything more.’ Remus sighed and swallowed a mouthful of the cool liquid. He hoped that would be enough to put the conversation about Angelina to bed.

‘I’m sorry if this is a sensitive topic,’ David started. ‘But I haven’t heard from Angie since before she went away, I wrote to her parents, but no one seems to know where she is exactly.’

Remus took a breath and looked into the crackling fire. ‘She is safe.’ He said, almost like a mantra, a repeated sentence designed only to give him comfort. ‘She’ll be home before you know it and I’m sure she’ll want to hear all about Romania when she’s back.’

Nothing more was said on the subject and eventually David went home for the night. James was kind enough to let Remus stay in the spare room instead of apparating back to the castle so late. Remus barely slept a wink through crying quietly. He missed Angelina with all of his being, even the wolf inside of him missed her.

 

Something needed to change, I needed to start doing things differently, my entire experience of the village was a feeling of being one step behind, I needed to start catching up and moving forward, Tenzin was right, time was running out.

I stopped complaining about how little rest I was getting and simply got on with the tasks I was being given by Wangchuk. He had asked me to rebuild the pond by hand one morning and instead of complaining, I just got onto my knees and worked out a plan of action. It took me the best part of two days, but eventually it was complete and I was exhausted.

Before I could make a move to retire he told me to go through same routine of crossing the pond without the use of magic. I failed miserably and went to bed cold and tired.

The next morning I was up and joined the morning warriors in their routine. I went through the motions of the combative dance, not really understanding it’s purpose, but doing my best to clear my mind and allow my body to stretch with the movements. They invited me to have breakfast with them and meditate with them afterwards.

I could still hear the brother yelling and screaming at me, trying his hardest to discourage me from doing anything that pushed me closer to getting rid of him, but I had noticed that the pain he tried to inflict on my joints had become less, the flashing images felt more like distant blurs and the screams were a little quieter than before. I finally felt like all the work I had done was worth it.

Wangchuk had pushed me harder, told me to move quicker, carry more weight and trust my body more. I tried, Merlin, I tried, but I felt like the further forward I got, the more he was asking of me. Tenzin had recovered just enough to see me going through the usual morning training, he didn’t look impressed exactly, but he was still recovering from being my tether several weeks later.

I was getting physically stronger and the more I trained with Wangchuk, the easier I found meditating. It no longer felt like falling back into a dream, but more like stepping through a doorway into a new existence, one that I had more control over than ever before.

‘Then maybe we should test that.’ Yonten’s voice floated through the desert plain of my subconscious. He couldn’t have been any more than a few feet away from me. I turned to find an old doorway, one that looked a lot like my parents’ front door, but much older and worn down. I opened the door and found myself back in the outside world, staring out at the mountains with a distant ringing in my ears.

Yonten was standing behind me and I quickly stood up to bow, giving him the respect he deserved as an Oracle.

‘If you think you have control over that place, then you will show it to me.’ He said, his voice sending a chill through me, he meant business. ‘Take me to your safe place.’

I swallowed, feeling like this was a test of sorts. 

I sat back down and faced the mountains, it suddenly occurred to me that I had never taken Tenzin to my safe place before, he had always been the one to take me. I never asked him how he did it, I just followed him in, hoping that he would know what he was doing.

‘And that is why you will not pass the tests.’ Yonten said angrily. ‘You have no control, no discipline and no right to call yourself a leader! No one will follow you into battle if you do not take the first step yourself!’

He walked away as quietly as he had approached and I felt incredibly disheartened. What was I doing here? What was I supposed to do with the little knowledge I had been given? What questions was I supposed to be asking? Would I even want the answers as much as I think I would? 

I wrote to Remus every chance I got, asking him what he was doing with his time, if he was okay, if Erin was doing well and Harry, anything that kept him talking to me, anything that kept his letters long and filled with something I could hang on to. I wrote to Darren as well, was he okay? I’d be home as soon as I could, I would find a way to get rid of the brothers, I would find a way for us both to be able to live long and happy lives. I was doing this for him, for family. I love my brother. 

The next day Tenzin had come to my room, he was still weak, but he was adamant that we go back to the room and learn more about the brother, he invited Wangchuk to join us, but it was painfully obvious that his presence was more for Tenzin’s benefit than it was for mine. I kept quiet and did my best to gather the rest of the memories as quickly as I could while the two Oracles fought the brother off.

 

‘Our new heroes!’ An old man stood up on the stone steps of an ancient temple, one that looked frightening similar to the one close to where I’d found the she-wolf statue. Romulus and Remus stood tall waving out to the crowd filled with wizards and muggles alike, all of them cheering in a new age of peace for the Hills. 

They looked in their element, much like Jack and I must have looked when entertaining in the courtyard. The brothers did tricks with their swords and gave the crowd a bit of a show, all of it to display their physical strength and prowess, even I had to admit it was impressive. They were clearly loved by all.

I looked around at the village that had slowly become more of a town and was more reminiscent of the abandoned settlement I had found. Buildings were being constructed all around me, people were selling gifts that looked like wolves to passers by and Dora was looking at Remus with adoration in her eyes. She was so beautiful now that she had grown into herself a bit more, it was clear to see why she had peaked his interest.

It was suddenly night time and I could hear whispering in the quiet settlement. Remus was guiding Dora to a secluded alleyway, both of them giggling away like children. He quickly looked to see if anyone was around before kissing her against the wall of the merchant’s shop. Remus loved her so much, his touch was gentle and caring against her skin, he held her like she would break and kissed her like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

He pulled back and looked into her deep blue eyes. ‘I love you, Dora.’

‘Good.’ She smiled, biting down on her lip. ‘Means you’ll never leave me.’

‘How could I leave you when you have given me so much happiness?’ Remus ran his hand through her hair and swallowed. ‘I want to give you something, to prove my love is real, to prove that I will always protect you and I will never leave you for anything.’ Remus stepped back slightly and pulled something from his leather pouch. ‘I know that it’s been hard over the last few years, my mother is getting better and my brother and I are working to restore the hills and make a new land for the people here. I realise that I may have appeared as if I was brushing you to one side, but I want you to know that I never would…’ Remus kneeled down and held his hand up to present Dora with a clear diamond ring. ‘Marry me, let me make you as happy as you have made me.’

Dora could barely speak, her eyes were filled with tears and words wouldn’t form in her mouth, but she managed to nod and Remus kissed her again, deeply and passionately. He quickly slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her again and again and again. 

 

Remus married Dora in secret, no one to witness except a few priests. His eyes never drifted from hers, he was always touching her in some fashion, nothing else seemed to take his interest like she did. 

I could suddenly feel something strange, a presence that I had only ever felt once before, it wasn’t light or dark or warm or cold, it wasn’t anything I could identify easily. I tried to turn around, but found myself unable to really move much at all, the presence couldn’t have been any more than inches from me, but somehow I couldn’t see it. Before I could properly analyse the feeling, it was gone and I was free to turn and see nothing out of the ordinary in the small church, nothing to suggest any kind of presence at all.

Remus and Dora kissed and left the church holding hands and celebrating with the few people who were there. They looked so normal and so happy like any other person who married the love of their life, it reminded me of Jocelyne and Benji’s wedding and how they occupied a world that was entirely their own.

 

I felt my body hit the hard floor of the pensive room and saw Tenzin and Wangchuk panting heavily. I quickly told them what I saw as usual and mentioned the strange presence, neither of the Oracles seemed to be able to come up with an answer.

‘Let us rest,’ Tenzin said as we began moving through the outline’s of my memories. ‘Angie, there can’t be much more for you to see if they have just married, we know that the brothers fought in a war soon after Remus married and Dora became pregnant. Remus died before his son was born.’

We spoke no more of the brothers and what I had seen, instead Tenzin took another week to rest and I spent the time training with Wangchuk. Pema had also taken an interest in teaching me about her plants, about how they grew and why. Most of the time it felt like she was teaching me life lessons, things about allowing things to grow naturally and having patience. It seemed her lessons were easier to grasp because of how like Remus she sounded, patience, happy and with a caring heart. 

 

Remus,

I miss you. I lay down to sleep and all I can think of is how something is missing, I think I got far too used to your arms wrapped around me. I’ve been thinking about our future and the things I’d like to happen, about maybe finding a cottage in the middle of nowhere, a big forest outside and every night curling up near the fire with you… it seems a silly dream to have, but I think it’s worth a little thought.

I have been writing to Darren more regularly, it occurred to me that no matter how hard this is for me, he has no idea of what it really is that is inside of him. I keep trying to explain it, but the more I try to put it into words, the less words I find I can use to properly describe it. 

Tenzin is recovering and I’m back training with Wangchuk, he’s pushing me harder, but I feel the challenges are making me stronger. I have a growing fear that I will come back different though, I feel like I will no longer be the woman who can make you happy and I desperately want you to be happy.

Yours

Angelina 

 

Remus read the letter a few times over, his whole body was aching, it had been a bad night for him, but he still had a class to teach. Sixth years. None of them seemed to mind that he wasn’t in the mood for anything practical, preferring to sit at his desk, sip his tea and read the letter from Angelina a few times over. 

He missed her more and more every day and he was terrified that she wouldn’t return to him. Her fears over changing were justified, but Remus kept telling himself that no matter how she changed, she would still be more than he could ever ask for. 

Remus watched his sixth years studying quietly and prayed that none of them could see the aches and pains his body was going through. Nathan looked up at him and frowned before getting back to work. Remus hadn’t meant to let his hand drop to his desk with quite as much force as it had done, startling a few of his students, but it felt like a good excuse for him to dismiss everyone.

Not a single student stayed behind for any reason, all of them apparently sensing his tired state and thinking better of asking him any questions. Remus took his loose tie off, throwing it onto his desk and leaned back in his chair getting comfortable.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but what made him feel even worse was waking up to the sound of someone running past his classroom. The sun was just setting and he felt the light on his eyes, making his head ache worse than when he’d fallen asleep. He managed to glimpse the letter from Angelina and sighed, writing out his reply.

 

Angelina,

Let me make it as clear as I can, if you want a cottage in the middle of nowhere with a forest and a fire, then I will find one for you, if you want a mountain view or a lake side garden, then I will make it happen. Your happiness is my happiness. Do not be cast under any illusion as to just how much I love you and how much I want a life with you. I will not stop loving you just because you’ve changed a little, I’ve spent the last ten years of my life watching you change and I have never thought any less of you because of it.

The time we have spent apart has been hard, I’m not denying that, but I feel sure that when we are together again it will have all been worth it.

As for Darren, you’re right, he is struggling and I feel there is only so much more he can take before he will need his sister back with him. However, don’t let that thought rush you away from what you are learning, you’re there because you want the best for both you and your family. Keep learning Angelina, keep training and stay focussed. I’ve told you many times before, your family and I will not leave you under any circumstances, we will always be here for you to come home to.

I love you

Yours

Remus


	11. The Wrath of the Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Let me know in the comments!

I was nervous. It was justified. Tenzin, Wangchuk and Pema walked me into the room with the pensieve, I’d never had three Oracles in here with me and according to Tenzin, I was only just strong enough to contain them. We had trained for two weeks, learning how I could help them from within, focus on what was in front of me, push past anything that was restricting my movement and get what I needed. This was my soul, I would command it. 

I took a deep breath and the Oracles readied themselves as I stepped into the last memory.

 

I could smell copper, something metallic, I could feel soft soil beneath me and a ringing in my ears sounded louder than ever, it was disorientating. I tried to stand, but my balance was well off. I needed to focus, remember the pond, find my balance and try to see what was in front of me. The ground wasn’t just soft, it was wet, like mud, but it smelt metallic. Blood.

It was a battlefield, a war. I looked up to see soldiers, wizards, muggles, children, women, animals, all of them being slaughtered by a single man. Romulus. 

‘You chose her over us!’ He roared, I could have sworn he was looking directly at me, but soon Remus passed through my body and I realised I was standing in the exact place that Remus had been hit. 

There was still fighting happening around me, but Remus was dragging his bloodied body towards his brother. There was a madness in both of their eyes that I had only caught glimpses of before. They were there to kill.

‘I chose love, same as you!’ Remus panted, he fell a little as he continued towards Romulus. It suddenly occurred to me that the brothers were the only ones fighting who didn’t wear any kind of armour. ‘I chose life!’

‘And what of the life we have been trying to save for the last twenty years? What of your mother? What of your brother?’ Romulus growled and sprinted towards Remus, hitting him hard with his fists and pouring all of his rage into his brother’s face.

I suddenly felt that presence again, the one that was neither warm nor cold, just heavy. It took more than I had wanted to give, but the second I turned around I saw the same wolf I had seen in the village. Big and black, eyes sharp and bright blue, only this time it wasn’t a statue, it was her, the she-wolf.

It was like she had scars all over her body, the same symbols covered the statue in the middle of the village. Her eyes peered into mine and I wondered if she really could see me standing in front of her. It was impossible, I wasn’t really there, this was a replay of events that had already happened. 

She was watching the battle from the other side of the field, but she was huge, probably bigger than my own animagus. Her teeth showed as she began speeding up towards where the brothers were fighting.

Remus had somehow gotten the upper hand and pinned Romulus to the floor, I felt my heart sink as he looked up and saw his mother sprinting towards him. Remus dodged just in time, grabbed a spear from a nearby body and prepared to fend off his brother again. 

The she wolf had carried on sprinting and it suddenly caught Remus’s attention. Without a second thought, he kicked Romulus back to the ground and jammed the spear hard into his leg. Romulus wailed out in pain, the sound was deafening, but Remus just ran after his mother. 

I was suddenly outside a house, the she wolf was stalking it, trying to figure out the best way inside. I could feel my legs aching, like I had been the one running after her. I could barely breathe properly and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. 

‘Stop!’ Remus shouted, but before he could make it to the door, the wolf knocked him back. I could feel blood trickling down my throat, my head was dizzying, but Remus kept getting up. ‘Don’t hurt her!’ He yelled again.

‘She is the reason we have failed.’ The voice definitely came from the wolf, but it was like she was speaking directly into my mind, like she was a Legilimens.

Remus covered his ears, but it did no good. The noise was inside his head, no amount of shielding was going to stop it. 

‘I will not let you kill her!’ Remus roared, suddenly finding his strength and throwing his arm out to send his mother back through a broken building on the other side of the square. Remus ran into the house to find Dora, heavily pregnant, on the floor, just regaining consciousness. ‘Dora.’ He cried. ‘Dora, please wake up.’

She began struggling against Remus, as if he were an intruder. ‘No! Don’t touch me!’

‘Dora, it’s me, it’s me.’ Remus calmed her down. His face was covered in blood and I had the distinct impression that time was running vey thin. ‘Come with me, I will keep you safe, as I always have.’

Remus helped Dora to her feet, he was sore and tired, but nothing was going to stop him taking her to safety. 

‘Remus, Remus, please.’ Dora held her belly, trying to find her feet.

‘We cannot stop Dora, I have to get you to the cave. You’ll be safe there.’ The hill cave. How many times had I dreamt of Remus yelling for me to run to the cave, run to safety? And how many times had I forgotten the dream? But it always lingered in the back of my mind, like déjà vu. 

‘Romulus did something.’ She said, still crying. Remus stopped and checked her.

‘What? What did he do?’ He demanded.

Dora hesitated for a moment, before lifting her tunic to show him her belly. It was covered in small symbols, Remus stood back horrified. ‘He brought a man with him and did this to me.’

‘Dora, it’s very important that you tell me exactly what he did.’ I could feel his anger, I could feel his rage pulsing through his bones, giving him a new energy that he had not yet accessed. ‘Tell me he didn’t kill the man that came with him.’

‘He did.’ She cried and fell to her knees, too weak to continue. Remus just watched her and I could feel his anger beginning to blind him. 

‘Dora, I will kill him for this, but before I do, you must trust me.’ Remus pulled his knife from his thigh strap and got onto his knees. ‘Trust me, Dora.’

‘What are you doing?’ She was suddenly terrified and went to back away from him. Remus carved a symbol into his hand.

‘This will protect him.’ Remus said. ‘Romulus will never hurt you while I am still here. I am giving you all the protection I have. This is a gift, this is my strength.’ 

I had a bad feeling about it, whatever Remus had carved into his hand was not a protection spell, I’d seen enough of them to be sure, but Dora clearly hadn’t. She nodded and allowed Remus to place his hand onto her protruding belly, he began muttering something inaudible.

The presence was back, the she wolf was coming.

Remus stood and helped Dora to her feet, he suddenly looked older, like he had been drained of all energy. That may well have been what happened, if that was what he had to do to protect his family, then it was a real possibility that Remus had done exactly that without any hesitation.

Dora stood up and somehow her own energy had returned to her. ‘Remus, what did you do?’

Remus panted and I could feel myself losing my focus, I needed to concentrate on what I was seeing. ‘I gave him the best part of me, I gave him my strength, he will be protected for the rest of his life. You, Dora, you will never be found.’ Remus sat back on his heels and it was clear that he was now dying. ‘Leave this place, go somewhere safe, never come back.’ Remus finally fell back and Dora was immediately at his side, trying to work out what to do. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘For what?’ Dora choked.

‘For falling in love with you,’ Remus looked up into the eyes of the woman he loved more than life itself. ‘I should never have asked your name, I should have left you at the market, selling your baskets.’ Remus could taste the salt and copper mixture.

‘No, don’t you dare apologise for that!’ Dora was defiant until the last second. ‘Never apologise for giving me the greatest gift, never apologise for loving me. I will protect our son with my life, I promise… I love you Remus, I will never love anyone the way I love you.’ Dora leaned in and kissed her husband, the presence was getting thicker and thicker with each second that passed. ‘I will always protect our family,’ She whispered against his lips. ‘With everything I have.’

Remus swallowed and took one last look at his wife. ‘Run. Never stop.’ Remus said and kissed Dora one last time, before she began sprinting for the cave. 

Remus just looked up at the sky for a moment and I could feel his thoughts, he knew he was about to die, but with everything he had, he stood up. In the middle of a battlefield, his wife running for her life, the knowledge that he would never know his son, he would never really be a father, his plans to teach his son how to fish, how to build things, to fight, would never come to pass. His son would grow without him. Remus prayed that Dora would tell him stories of his father, prayed that he grew up wondering what it could have been like.

Remus slowly got back to his feet, he was going to die, he was going to be in more pain than he had ever felt in his life, but time was everything, if he could give Dora enough time to get to the cave she could escape.

I could see Romulus running with all the effort he could muster towards his brother, spear in hand. Their mother wasn’t far behind and both of them moved with a rage that Remus had felt only moments previous, now all he could feel was an aching in his heart. 

The wolf was the first to him, grabbing his whole body in her mouth and tossing him high into the air, Remus wailed as he landed back on the floor, his body now failing him significantly. I tried so hard to focus on what was going on in Remus’s head, the small flashes of his life now entering into his consciousness. It was now clear what had happened to their mother, the pieces were all there and all I needed to do was put them together.

Romulus threw the spear at Remus and it caught his stomach, piercing his skin and suddenly everything stopped. The entire field cleared, there was nothing but the brothers staring at each other as they knew death was coming for them. They were barely thirty, barely starting their lives and it was already over.

‘Romulus.’ Remus panted, he dropped to his knees and slowly pulled the spear out from his stomach. The pain was searing and I could see his hands shaking. 

‘We made a promise,’ Romulus limped towards Remus. ‘We promised to save her. Family is everything.’ He screamed.

‘Not at the cost of others.’

‘At all costs!’ Romulus roared, but it was suddenly clear that he was attempting to hide worse injuries, potentially the ones that would eventually kill him.

A blurred black figure shot behind Remus, she was going after Dora. Remus looked up at his brother, knowing that he needed to do something to stop her.

‘I’m so sorry Romulus, but we both know that she would do anything to see her children live forever. I can't let her go after my son.’ Remus, as quickly as he could, turned the spear and caught the side of his brother’s neck. Romulus began choking, trying to seal his wound with his hand and gulp down any form of oxygen he could. ‘We should never have revived her, we should have been stronger and not given into her desires.’ Remus fell back again, staring up at the sky, listening to the sounds of his brother dying and the harsh whispering of his mother sprinting back to her sons. ‘I’m so sorry I couldn’t be the son you wanted… and I’m sorry that Romulus could.’ Remus was struggling to breathe, this was it, this was the end. ‘But you will never find the Lockwoods for as long as they live… and if you do… then you will die… and finally we will know peace.’ Remus watched as the image of his mother staring down and howling with pain began to blur, the world grew smaller and his body heavier, until… there was nothing.

 

I woke to the sounds of crying, a deep and painful sobbing. I opened my eyes and the crying grew quieter, I was back in my room the sounds of the village replacing the sobbing.  
My body flared with aches and pains, but somehow my mind was clearer, like something had clicked into place and everything was brighter now.

 

Darren felt a burst of energy, his broom suddenly picked up speed and he darted for the goal. He could feel his body suddenly coming back to him, the strength he once had to finish a game, but not only finish, excel. He was back, he was always the star man and no one would have a single doubt about how well he could play, now it was time to prove it.

 

Angie,

Hope you’re good, Clara and I are going to wait for you to come home before we start planning the wedding, you have to be here for it. 

Had the first good game in a long time, felt great getting back into form and hopefully this means I’ll be back in the running for the next World Cup. Straight to the final! Quidditch is coming home!

Anyway, no real news, mum is still tired, I think it’s just getting to be a bit much for her at work, dad’s doing his bit and we’re thinking of getting a new cat. Since Percy died things haven’t been quite the same. We’ll see. Clara isn’t too keen on the idea, but then, you know, werewolf.

Looking forward to whenever you come home.

Darren


	12. Tenzin's Gift

Remus hadn’t anticipated a visit from the minister, even less that he would be summoned to Dumbledore’s office to speak with both of them, but that was exactly what happened. Remus enjoyed the school when it was quiet, he felt like he could breathe a little more easily when the corridors were clear of crowds. It was only Quirrell scurrying down a corridor that looked out of place, but Remus didn’t have any time to investigate.

‘Ah, Remus, do come in.’ Dumbledore smiled. It was hardly a surprise to find the minister flanked by two Aurors, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Benji, who was looking more tired than usual, but the minister looked in suspiciously good spirits.

‘Professor Lupin, pleasure to meet you.’ The minister greeted Remus. ‘I hope you don’t mind my taking a few minutes of your time, but pressing matters have come to our attention.’ 

Remus had a sudden sinking feeling. ‘Of course not, minister. What can I help you with?’ He said, but couldn’t help going through the motions of his resignation letter and going over where he would go after Hogwarts. 

‘Why don’t we take a seat?’ The minister invited Remus and Dumbledore handed over a cup of tea. It wasn’t as comforting as Remus would have liked it to have been. ‘I’ll cut right to the point, Remus. We’re worried about Angie Lockwood, I’ve not heard from her in nearly a year and I’ve been told she has left the country. Usually I would ask either her mother or Benji about her whereabouts, but to my surprise they are both unaware of her current location.’ Well, that wasn’t what Remus expected. ‘I’ve been told that she has kept in contact with you since leaving Hogwarts, you even accompanied her on some research trips in Bulgaria and Reykjavik.’

‘Minister, I’m sure you haven’t come here to ask me about my involvement-‘

‘I’m here to ask if you have any idea of Miss Lockwood’s whereabouts?’ The minister barely gave Remus a chance to reply. He could see Benji shifting out of the corner of his eye and it wasn’t exactly obvious what he wanted Remus to say, however, Benji knew that Angelina was in Tibet and had apparently chosen not to divulge that information, there must have been a reason.

Remus took a moment, not breaking eye contact with the minister, in case he thought he might have been lying. ‘I’m sorry minister, I have no idea where she is right now.’

The minister sighed and watched Remus carefully. ‘When is the last time you heard from her?’ He asked.

‘I don’t recall, possibly a few months ago, before Christmas.’ Remus lied.

‘Before Christmas?’ The minister questioned. ‘I’m surprised you’re not more worried about her then, the rest of us are.’

‘Miss Lockwood is a perfectly capable young witch,’ Remus took a very diplomatic stance, he didn’t trust the minister and he would never put Angelina in any danger. ‘I’m sure wherever she is, she is safe and will return when she is ready to do so.’

The minister watched Remus more carefully than before, trying to figure out if what he was saying was true or not. Remus was fairly certain that the minister didn’t know about his relationship with Angelina, there wasn’t any reason for him to know, but it was best to keep it quiet while Angelina was away. The minister would see value in the information if it meant bringing her home before she was ready.

Benji deflated out of sight of the minister and Remus knew that look, it was one of relief. 

‘Very well,’ the minister concluded. ‘Should you hear anything about her whereabouts, you will inform the ministry at once. It is imperative that we speak with her as soon as possible. Dumbledore.’ The minister nodded and stood up immediately to leave. 

It was only a moment before Remus was left very much alone with the headmaster and before he had a chance to speak, Dumbledore interrupted his train of thought.

‘Remus, is she safe?’ Dumbledore looked worried and it was an unusual look on the usually stoic man.

‘The last time I spoke to her, she was safe.’ Remus sighed, not quite knowing if he believed that any more. It had become a mantra in recent weeks, telling himself over and over again that she was safe and happy, but it was all to cover the reality that she might not be either of those things. 

Dumbledore nodded and stood to leave his desk and enter the room behind his office. Remus took that as his cue to leave the Headmaster’s office and head back to his own. When he arrived, Remus felt himself begin to cry again. He needed Angelina to be safe, he needed her to be happy and he needed her to help him feel okay again. 

 

Tenzin was much sicker than I had seen him since coming to the village. He was so weak and tired. All the Oracles had suffered when inside the temple with me, but none of them as much as him. Tenzin would only have strength enough to stay awake for a few minutes at a time and it wasn’t looking good, even Yonten was worried.

‘He knew what he was doing when you first came here.’ He said as we wandered through the training grounds early in the morning. It had been nearly a week since I had seen the end of the brothers and I had yet to be disturbed by the brother inside me. ‘Tenzin has been preparing himself for a long time to be your mentor, he has given more than you could imagine for the chance to be your Oracle and it seems he is now giving his life for yours.’

‘But I don’t want him to die, I didn’t ask him to do this.’ I couldn’t lose Tenzin, not when I still knew so little.

‘It wasn’t your choice, it’s his.’ Yonten stopped at the edge of the cliff on the other side of the village, it wasn’t my usual meditation spot, but it seemed to overlook mountains as well. ‘Tenzin knew that his death was a possibility and yet he still persevered with your training. I’m sure before he leaves us for good, he will have a few final words for you, I suggest you listen with great care.’ Yonten sighed and leaned more heavily on his walking stick. ‘Angie, the world had become unbalanced and it is down to a select few to make it right again. You and your brother will decide whether the war paves the way for a new peace or destroys everything we hold most dear. This burden could only have fallen to someone of immense strength and power, someone who understands the responsibility of such a choice. You may not understand it all now, but when the time comes, you will.’

We stood for a while, watching the sun come up and I couldn’t help but think about the last memory I saw of the brothers. Both of them were fighting for love, for family and as far as I had always known, family was everything.

I continued to train with the warriors and Wangchuk and Pema were well again, enough to get back to their duties and for that at least I was glad. They described the tar creatures and how they fought them off while I was still in the memory, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary about it. I needed Tenzin to wake up soon and tell me what to do next.

‘He may not be able to.’ Wangchuk said, as I easily made it across the pond over the planks of wood. ‘Tenzin isn’t getting any better, protecting you took more of a toll on him than any of us could have imagined.’

‘He should have said something.’ I muttered and almost lost my balance before wandering back across the pond.

‘You’re getting stronger and that is the point of his sacrifice. Tenzin understands that his purpose was to be your teacher and now that purpose is coming to an end.’

‘But I still don’t know anything!’ I was getting more and more frustrated the longer I went without Tenzin’s help. ‘I feel like I hardly gained anything and he’s dying for no reason.’

‘Then do something about it,’ Wangchuk demanded. ‘Learn as much as you can while you are here, do not let him die for nothing.’

The Oracle was right, the problem was I still wasn’t sure what it was I was trying to prepare for, if I had some kind of idea of what was ahead of me then I might have been able to ask more specific questions.

‘I need to know how to fight,’ I said, turning to Wangchuk. ‘If there’s a war coming then I’ll need to know how to fight. I’ve had plenty of practice at using my brain to figure things out, but if it comes to it… I don’t want to end up in hospital again, I can’t have Remus worrying for me like that anymore.’ 

Wangchuk smiled and nodded. ‘I will teach you to fight without the use of your wand. Focus will be everything.’

 

The next few days were spent with Wangchuk teaching me basic exercises to keep my body strong and flexible, something that apparently I would be grateful for in the coming weeks. I visited Tenzin every morning and his condition wasn’t getting any better, he was still weak and still barely conscious. Pema and Wangchuk had moved him to his own room in the village so that he would be more comfortable, it wasn’t what I thought it would be, where my room was simple and baron of all personal touches, Tenzin’s was filled with all matter of artefact and trinkets.

I wasn’t sure what to make of it all, I had never even thought about the personal lives of the Oracles, I felt very naive looking at the array of books and scrolls that littered the shelves as it showed a life lived in the search of knowledge. Tenzin was more like me than I ever knew. I didn’t dare touch anything in his room, but everything was clearly well taken care of. 

The man himself could barely acknowledge where he was for the next week, he was slipping further and further away and I felt it in my heart. It was my fault, I should have been more aware of what was happening. I was so sick of losing people. 

‘Everything dies, it’s just a part of living.’ Pema had walked in one morning when I was visiting Tenzin. She seemed in good spirits and with her usual bunch of flowers to replace the wilting ones next to the bed. It was strange, but this was the first time I had really taken in the way she looked, her face was old and creased, her hair jet black and her yellow robes hung from her small slender frame with elegance. ‘Tenzin has lived a long a full life, his death is just another part of that.’

I wasn’t exactly sure of how to reply. ‘He collected a lot of things.’

‘Yes, he loved visiting new places and with every meeting he had with new people, he gained something new to add to his collection.’ Pema smiled, she was also looking a little worse for wear, worn out. ‘I’m sure if you ask him about some of them, he will be glad to tell you.’

‘Does that mean he’s going to get better?’ I was suddenly excited at the prospect of Tenzin not dying after all, finally something that hadn’t gone wrong in this place.

‘No, I’m afraid Tenzin has only days left on this earth.’ Pema shook her head and placed her slender hand on Tenzin’s. ‘But I’m sure if you he taught you anything, you will find a way to communicate with him.’

The gardener smiled at me again and left Tenzin’s room. Why hadn’t it occurred to me before? Tenzin could speak to me in my dreams, said it was easier to talk to me that way, if I could figure out how to do that, then maybe I could see him again.

I sprinted out of his room to find Wangchuk who was meditating near the pond, I didn’t want to disturb him, but it seemed my presence had already done just that.

‘I can show you.’ He said immediately. ‘Sit down.’ I got the impression that time was quickly running out. ‘Angie, whatever happens, stay focussed, stay strong and remember that Tenzin wants to speak with you.’ I did as I was asked, I sat and observed Wangchuk, I listened to him telling me about the ways two souls can connect and open up to each other, it sounded complex and impossible, but it had to be true, I was living the evidence to say it was. ‘Love is the most powerful way to connect to another, but we have found our own way to do it in order to teach others. The Oracle way is a very well kept secret and something that I cannot teach you without permission from Yonten, something that we will not get, but I can teach you to connect through love.’

‘Will that work with Tenzin?’

‘Of course, he was your teacher and you shared your soul with him, the bond is already there, you just have to find it again.’ Wangchuk explained. ‘This is very powerful magic Angie and one that you will not have come across back home where words are preferred to feeling.’ At least that part made sense, it seemed that the only really useful piece of information I had gathered in Tibet was that the western magical community had little use for magic without words, whereas in the east they relied heavily on a person’s emotional state and inner focus to perform magic. ‘Go to your safe place and find the door that leads to Tenzin.’

I closed my eyes and visualised the door that led into my desert land. There was a heavy storm that hung in the sky, the white orb floated quietly through the blackened clouds and I ran out trying to find something that resembled Tenzin. 

There were so many memories to search through, I couldn’t keep running through each one, I needed to bring them to me. I could see the furthest memory playing out, it was a walk Remus and I took near to the black lake, I held my hand out and pulled it towards me, shifting every memory that surrounded me in the same direction. It was almost like flicking through a book, pulling clusters of memories towards me, trying to find Tenzin. I finally found what I was looking for.

‘‘So, this is like a dreamland?’ I asked. Tenzin turned and frowned.

‘Angie, this is your soul…’’

The memory was clear and I wondered what exactly it was I needed to do next. I wasn’t sure if I should have stepped into it or not, but maybe it was worth trying. I reached my hand out and touched the soft, silky edges of the memory, I could feel something gentle pulling me towards it, it didn’t feel malicious, it felt kind and welcoming. I let it take me in and I found myself in Tenzin’s room in the village, he was sitting at his desk reading through a large book, young as ever and happy.

‘Tenzin?’ I breathed, he turned to me and smiled.

‘I had wondered if you were going to figure it out.’ He almost laughed and sat back in his chair. The view from his window was breath-taking, it was a sunset over the mountain, I had never seen anything quite as beautiful. ‘As much as I would like to reminisce, time was never on our side and I must finish teaching you.’

It suddenly hit me like a heavy rock in my heart. ‘You knew you were going to die? Ever since I first came here? That’s why you always said that time wasn’t on our side.’

‘I’m afraid so.’ He nodded, still watching the sunset. ‘The sun is setting and once it does, there will be no more light and no more life.’ Tenzin seemed more okay with knowing when he was going to die than I was and it was slightly disturbing. ‘As my body weakens, the sun gets lower and I edge ever closer to death.’

‘Why are you so okay with this? Why are you so okay with dying?’ I demanded, I could feel tears building behind my eyes and I hated it. 

‘Angie, did you not listen to Pema? Everything dies, it’s a part of living. And those who do not accept this will never truly live. This day was always coming to me and it would always be hard.’ Tenzin smiled gently, but as far as I was concerned, there was nothing to smile about. ‘Do not be sad that I am gone, just keep learning and remember what I taught you, remember that no matter what, love is the most powerful force on this earth.’

I sniffed, holding back my tears. ‘Why do I feel like you’re getting ready to leave me as soon as go?’

Tenzin turned to smile at me again. The Oracle stood and approached me, placing his hands on my shoulders. ‘Angie, my last gift to you is in my room, a small chest. You will know when you are ready to open it.’

I couldn’t stop the tears flooding out of me any longer. ‘Why is this happening? Why do you have to die?’

‘Because I have already lived,’ Tenzin held me close to his strong chest, I didn’t ever want to let him go. ‘I have lived long and happy, I have learnt so much and grown as much as I could and no one could have asked more of me.’ I could feel the sun growing colder, he barely had any time left. ‘Good luck Angie, I feel sure we will see each other again.’ 

Something was tearing me out of Tenzin’s arms, pulling me back into my own desert place. I could feel myself screaming for Tenzin to wake up, for him to come back with me, but nothing I did seemed to help. Tenzin was gone.

 

Darren woke with a sharp feeling in his chest. It was the middle of the night and he had woken not quite feeling like himself. There was something making him think of Angie, something making him get up and write a letter to her, asking if she was okay, asking if she had found a way to get rid of the brothers, but there was a good chance that he wouldn’t get a reply for over a week.

There was a deep worry for his sister that spread over the whole family, her letters were few and far between, containing such little information and even fewer words of comfort. The only thing she had told him of use was to be careful about what he said out loud, apparently the brother could hear and see what Darren could, but had limited access to his mind. 

Darren did everything he could to stop the brother invading his thoughts, but it was difficult. That was until two weeks previous, when a sudden burst of energy over took him and he led the team to victory. The Falcons had yet to lose a game in those two weeks and were almost back to the top of the league table, Darren had given his all to the club and in return they had stuck by him while he was out of form. He loved his club and since his return from Japan, he had decided that he would end his career with the Falcons.

Sleep was no longer an option and Darren decided to go out for an early morning run in the spring rain, returning as his father was just waking up. 

‘You’re up early?’ He said, his greying hair completely out of place and his usually bright blue eyes were still a little bloodshot. 

‘Yeah, woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I thought I’d get a work out in before breakfast.’ Darren grabbed the towel from the back of the kitchen chair and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ‘How’s mum?’

His father placed a cup of tea down on the table for Darren and went about starting breakfast. ‘Still tired. The ministry has the Aurors pulling double shifts and it looks like it’s becoming a more regular occurrence.’

‘Is there something going on?’

‘Probably. But you know your mother, if it’s anything to worry about she’ll let us know.’ There was always something about the way his father spoke that had Darren questioning over whether he knew more than he was letting on. Darren learnt the hard way not to question him on the subject though. ‘Heard from Angie recently?’ He asked, sipping his tea and leaning against the kitchen counter.

‘Not recently, you?’

His father shook his head a little sadly. 

‘I’m sure she’s fine. Remus will be the first to know when she’s coming home.’ Darren said and stood up, heading off to take a shower.

 

George was surprised for a moment, usually any mention of Remus would cause Darren to have some kind of episode, but instead, his son casually mentioned his name and wandered away as if he’d never taken issue with Remus at all. 

George wondered if Angie had something to do with it. He hadn’t heard much from his daughter, but the last time she wrote was to say she was making progress, maybe Darren’s change in mood was down to something she had done in Tibet.

Adrianna was still sleeping and George hated to wake her while she was getting so much rest, but she had wanted to go in early to see about a few things and he would never overrule her on ministry business.

George sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at his sleeping wife, she was stunning, curled around the fluffy white pillow with the thick warm duvet around her. George shifted her blonde hair from her face and watched a delicate smile appear on her face, she leaned up into his touch and if he could, he would just leave her to rest for the rest of the week. He had been thinking about taking her away somewhere nice, they hadn’t really been on a holiday in a long time and it was about time that changed.

‘Adrianna, your breakfast is on.’ He said, gently allowing her eyes to open and look up at him. ‘There’s coffee downstairs waiting for you.’

‘Angie?’ She mumbled, turning on her back.

George sighed and stroked her cheek. ‘Nothing today, but we’re due a letter soon.’ 

Adrianna brought her slightly scarred hand up to his and kissed the palm of his hand. ‘The minister is still asking where she is, I don’t know how much longer I can lie to him, he’ll take further action soon.’

‘It’ll be alright, Angie will be home soon and when she is, everything will be alright again.’ George said, barely convincing himself, but it was the only thing he could say to keep everyone calm. He spent another few minutes with his wife, climbing back into bed with her and hoping that holding her was enough to keep them both steady for a while.

George had a growing worry over the minister asking the whereabouts of his daughter, there was no reason for him to be asking unless he wanted something from her. In the past few years, George had grown wary of the minister getting so close to his family, he could only imagine the reason, but if it had anything to do with the Lockwood family history, then the minister was in for a surprise. 

George would do anything to protect his family from harm, it was a trait he hated in himself. He never quite managed to distinguish between simply fighting for his family and ensuring their survival at all costs, Adrianna had helped, but through Romulus he had gained a vicious protective nature, one that he hoped his children could overcome easier than him.

Darren was already finishing breakfast by the time George and Adrianna appeared, both dressed and ready to head to work.

‘So, are you excited about today?’ Adrianna asked as she sat opposite her son. 

‘A bit nervous.’ Darren admitted. ‘Clara has an idea of what she’s looking for and all I wanted is space for my brooms.’

‘Well, just make sure the price is fair for what you’re looking for.’ She smiled. ‘If you need any help, just let us know and we’ll see what we can do for you.’

‘I’m sure we’ll be fine, but I’ll keep it in mind.’ Darren nodded as George set down a pot of tea. 

 

Remus,

Kingsley asked me to send you a letter because Benji is being watched a little too closely to contact you safely. We’re not sure why the minister is so interested in Angie’s whereabouts, but we can only assume it’s not for particularly pleasant reasons. We think Umbridge has been leading the line of questioning, she’s threatened by Angie and naturally that will lead to some paranoia.

I can only ask that you keep both your relationship and the location of Angie a secret until we can work out why the minister is keen to have her back in England. 

Please stay safe, I realise that with your concerns about Quirrell and Harry, you are already under some pressure, but all I can say is that as soon as Angie is back home we’ll all be okay again.

Anna.

 

Remus read the letter a few times, he hadn’t had time to check his mail before the first feast back after the Easter holidays and so skimmed through a few things at dinner. It seemed Anna was reciting the same mantra to herself that Remus was.

‘A letter from Lockwood?’ Sprout had asked, she wasn’t looking over his shoulder exactly, but it bothered him slightly that anyone was taking any interest in him at all. 

‘One of them.’ Remus nodded, skimming over the words once more. ‘The ministry is getting anxious about Angelina’s absence and are starting to ask unwelcome questions.’ He quickly found some spare parchment to write back.

‘I thought she was in Tibet?’ Sprout frowned.

‘She was, but it’s best we keep quiet on that.’ Remus explained. ‘The work she is doing is important and she needs to remain undisturbed until she finishes.’

‘Sounds like she’s involved in something she shouldn’t be.’ There was the disapproval Remus was anticipating.

‘Truthfully, I’m not sure, but if she says she is safe and doing good work, then we have no reason to doubt her.’ Remus put the conversation to rest and continued with his letter to Anna, before retiring to his room. He tried hard to resist crying, but it was no use, he had yet to have a decent night’s sleep since Christmas, Angelina should have been back and she should have been with him. 

Remus could feel his body aching more so than usual, his patience was shorter than he would have liked and he could feel his whole life falling apart. 

‘Sir, I was wondering if I could get a moment?’ Nathan had stayed back after class and honestly, Remus would rather he didn’t.

‘Of course, Nathan, what can I help you with?’ Remus found himself checking his parchment for a letter from Angelina, ripping his tie off and shedding his jacket, the same routine after every class.

‘It’s just that we’re learning about Lockwood’s Wolfsbane in Potions just now and I know that you helped Angie create it,’ Remus stopped what he was doing to observe Nathan, he could feel the warning in his own eyes. ‘I just wondered if there was anything I could do to better understand it?’

Remus sighed a little heavily before inviting Nathan to sit down again. ‘You expressed interest in becoming a Healer, didn’t you?’ Remus stepped around his desk and ran his hand through his hair, trying to feel more awake. Nathan nodded as he sat back down in his seat. ‘Well, you’ll have a little more luck in asking Professor Sprout for her advice, but as far as I remember Angelina spoke a lot about simplifying the original wolfsbane into one that needed far more tolerable substances, had room for error and could be altered without changing the effects.’

‘Do you remember how she did it?’

It was the first real smile Remus had had that day. ‘To be perfectly clear, Angelina is an extraordinarily intelligent individual, often she will see things that seem obscure or irrelevant and find a new solution in those details. I can’t speak for how exactly she came to that conclusion, but all I can say for certain is that she did so through hard work, creative thinking and a lot of support.’ Remus considered Nathan for a moment. ‘If it interests you that much, I can see if her parents kept any of her old journals, I’m sure her father has them stashed away somewhere.’ 

‘Really? You’d do that?’ 

‘I’ve been meaning to make a visit, it’ll be a good reason for me to see to a few errands as well.’ Remus nodded. ‘And I’m sure Angelina would want to see her work put to good use.’

‘Thank you, professor, that’s very kind of you.’ 

‘It’s no problem Nathan, though I would ask for a favour in return.’

‘Sure.’ The young sixth year asked without hesitation.

‘I’m not normally one to tell anyone what to do with information they acquire, but this is important.’ Remus started carefully. ‘You are aware of Angelina’s trip to Tibet?’

‘Yeah she went at the start of the year… is she still not home?’ Nathan was suddenly incredibly alarmed.

‘Nathan, there’s no reason to worry for her, I’m sure she’s doing everything in her power to remain safe. Having said that, we need to do our bit.’ Remus hated talking about Angelina in this way, if he could only speak with her, everything might have been clearer. ‘I told you how special she is and how she will take a particular role in the coming years, well, the minister is starting to make enquiries into her whereabouts and no one believes that he is asking of his own accord. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think Angelina was in real danger, but I am asking if you could keep any knowledge of her to yourself until she returns.’

‘Of course. I wouldn’t want her to get hurt.’ Nathan assured him, but there was still the worry in the back of Remus’s mind. ‘Professor, when is she coming home?’

Remus could feel his chest aching in a way that told him he needed to end this conversation quickly. ‘I’m not sure. I hope soon.’ It was weak and he could feel his throat beginning to hurt, like it did every time he had cried over missing her. 

‘I hope it’s okay for me to say, but you haven’t looked very well recently. Are you sure she’s coming home-?’ 

‘Angelina will come home.’ Remus said much more firmly. He took a quick breath, composing himself. ‘She will come home, because I have asked her to.’ He hadn’t meant to be short with Nathan and it seemed the young Gryffindor took very little offense.

‘Okay, well, I’m here if you want to talk Professor. You’ve helped me enough over the years, I may as well give back where I can.’ He smiled and left Remus in his classroom. It was only a moment before he felt his body collapse in a heap in front of his desk. What was happening to him?


	13. The Patronus

The box was the only thing left in Tenzin’s room aside from his books. All of the things he collected over the years had been returned to where they came from, Pema commenting on the amount of letters and notes that would come through thanking the Oracles for their kindness. I wasn’t really too concerned with that, instead I was more focussed on the plain wooden chest on the bedside table. Tenzin’s books had eventually been moved to my room so that I could learn from them, the language was difficult and it was taking me a while to get the hang of it.

It was strange that I didn’t feel the familiar pain in my heart that I had felt for Jack, Doris, Julian or even Dimitri, it was as if I had accepted Tenzin’s death the second he had gone. The only thing telling me it was okay was the fact that everyone else was reacting in the same way. The warriors talked about old times with Tenzin and gave small stories about his adventures beyond the village, but no one cried for days or even stopped any of the normal routine of the village.

‘Death is a part of living.’ I whispered to myself, watching the mountains. 

Tenzin’s ashes sat in a small silver locket, the design was beautiful, everything intertwining and a tree that sat in the centre, it was an Oracle symbol meaning life. Tenzin would have appreciated it. His ashes were kept in the monastery until a time when he would be taken elsewhere, but that was all I knew about it. Yonten assured me that this was what Tenzin wanted and his final wish would be fulfilled no matter what. 

I wrote to Remus to tell him about Tenzin, that I was now looking at his book collection and learning ancient Tibetan and Merlin knows what other kind of language. I wrote to my parents to tell them once again that I was safe and making progress, nothing else seemed to give them much comfort. And I wrote to Darren to ask him how the house-hunting had been going. I wasn’t as interested in the response that he and Clara had found a couple of places that they liked, I was happy for him, he was doing the very thing that I was striving to do with Remus; Darren was living a normal life. 

I had never had the desire to protect that life as strongly in all my life. Darren deserved the world, he’d always taken care of me, taught me things and protected me even when I didn’t know that I needed protecting, he deserved as much in return.

‘Love is the most powerful force.’ I whispered to myself again. 

I understood those things perfectly, so why did it still feel as though I was missing something. I turned to face the village and took a breath, possibly this place wasn’t what it seemed? Maybe it was a mirage? I focussed the same way I did when in my safe place and tried to see what was right in front of me. Nothing changed.

‘It won’t work.’ Yonten approached me, leaning heavily on his stick. He looked as if he had been meditating on something for a while. ‘Tenzin taught you well enough that what you see in this place is exactly what it looks like, but now, try to see more than that… People are very interesting creatures, don’t you think?’ The old Oracle began to wander towards Pema who was tending to a rose bush on one of the paths. 

He sounded so like Dumbledore, talking in riddles, but at the same time giving you everything you needed to figure it out. 

‘Love is an immovable magic.’ It was a faint voice, cracked and broken, like it had been screaming in pain. The brother. ‘Angie, my mother was immovable.’ The voice of the brother faded away and I wondered if he was finally helping me to rid my body of his soul. 

He was right, the she-wolf had been the one to keep me planted to the spot inside the pensieve, she had loved her children until the day they died. My father had told me once that the war was about anger and jealousy, but it was clear now that it had only ever been about love. Romulus loved his mother and Remus, his wife and somehow these things conflicted enough to start a war. I knew from my encounters with the brother that he could sense dark magic, feel it in a way that felt like streams of silky water beneath my fingertips, Pema had told me she had seen a deep love surrounding me, so maybe that was what Yonten wanted me to do? He wanted me to see people more clearly than before.

I went back to my room and searched through my book for more information on auras, I wasn’t sure if it was the right place to start, but I needed to find a connection somewhere. I tried to remember the day that I felt Nakamura in Diagon Alley, but the memory was blurred and painful at best, I needed to see it clearer. 

It was strange how like a pensieve my safe place was, I could search through memories easily and step into days I had already lived as if they were happening all over again. The pull of darkness had been so strong, Nakamura appearing in Diagon Alley, all to get his hands on my wand. I’d grasped my chest, feeling something heavy and sticky around my heart and lungs. Dark magic. 

I came out of my safe place and wandered over to where a few of the warriors were going through their evening rituals. I tried to see something that wasn’t already there, but nothing I tried seemed to work. I eventually went to bed, thinking on a new way to learn whatever it was Tenzin had wanted me to learn. 

 

Remus,

Tenzin is gone. He died helping me figure out what happened to the brothers and now I know for certain that the story isn’t what my dad thought it was. Love was the reason for everything. I’m starting to realise it’s power and how lucky I am that I have you to keep me focussed. 

It’s strange, all my life I believed love to be the ultimate force for good and now I know that it can corrupt people, make them do things that aren’t good. I wonder how much longer I will be able to think clearly on the subject, I need you to be that person, I need you to tell me when I’m going too far, otherwise I don’t know what will happen.

Remus, I know I’ve asked too much of you already, but please, I need you to trust that this is what I’m supposed to do, I’m supposed to be here and I can’t leave until I’ve learnt everything I can. Please don’t be upset with me, I’ll come home, I promise.

Yours

Angelina

It had been nearly a month and I was barely any further forward. I wrote to Remus every day, I gave him all the comfort I could. Every. Single. Day. But I had no real knowledge of if it was working, all I could do was hope and continue to train as hard as I could. 

Tenzin’s books were helpful in small doses, every time I understood a new section, I would practice it and consult with the Oracles. As far as I could tell, I already had everything I needed to achieve my goals, I just needed to find the access points and allow myself to experience something new.

Wangchuk had successfully taught me how to control much more powerful spells without the use of my wand, though just to prove it was working, he had me then use my wand which produced ten times the power that I had anticipated. The training figures needed to be repaired in greater numbers and I did my bit in helping repair them. 

I kept up with my routine and trained every morning with the warriors, I tried to do as they did and sync up with their movements, to listen to their breathing and anticipate the next move. It helped in my sparring matches against the warriors, listening to the tiniest sounds, just to get some kind of indicator for what they would throw at me. I had only won one match in the most recent week and Wangchuk allowed me the evening to rest as a reward. 

It was in one of my dreams that the brother, who I was almost certain now was Remus, decided it was time to give me the truth. 

We sat in the white room again, clean and expansive and a part of me was wary, now that I knew I might not have been safe. The hospital bed was gone and it was just the two arm chairs that remained.

‘Angie,’ he leaned forward and stared at me with his big brown eyes. ‘Now you know the truth, you must understand why I need to kill my brother, I cannot let him kill anyone else in the name of supposed love.’ 

I took a moment to think, this was my body, my life and I was the one who would decide my family’s fate. 

‘Romulus did love you and he loved your mother,’ I started firmly. ‘There’s nothing supposed about it.’

‘Angie, please-‘

‘I will not kill my brother.’ I interrupted him. ‘Is that clear to you? I will do everything in my power to rid my family of this curse and no one will stop me. Is that clear?’

Remus held his hands in front of his mouth for a moment, watching me and trying to decide what to do next. His eyes slowly closed and he nodded to himself.

‘Romulus has to die.’ He said. ‘I cannot allow him to harm anyone else, but you must understand that if Darren does not have the strength to resist him, then your brother will die anyway. Angie, you must help Darren. You must do everything you can to pass on what you have learnt here, you are stronger than I ever thought possible and I am weakening. I believe that the day is coming soon when you will kill me. If that happens, I will finally know peace. However, I feel now is a good a time as any to show you something of importance… if you would allow me?’

I frowned for a moment, he wasn’t getting into my safe place and he wasn’t taking any kind of control, so how exactly did he think he was going to show me anything? 

‘The memory is yours not mine, you just need to find it,’ he explained. ‘It was the last day you were in the Hills. Something happened just before you left, I can’t say for certain what will happen, but you just need to see it for yourself.’

I watched as Remus pleaded with me to believe him. There was no harm in exploring my own memories, but I had to wonder what it was he wanted me to see. It could wait until I was awake.

‘Okay, I’ll have a look, but you are not to contact me this way again. I will set the terms under which we communicate.’ I could see that he wasn’t happy about it, but he made no real effort to argue. 

 

It was the Alban Hills, the centre of the settlement, all of it in ruins. The statue of the she-wolf stood in the middle, the strange symbols that covered her body and me sitting sketching them into my notebook, praying that something would come to me. 

I watched as I spoke to the brother, listening to his replies echoing in the distance as I began searching the village for whatever else I had been looking for. I tripped on the way back to the statue and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, this was what I was meant to see. I had cuts on my hands, I was bleeding, not heavily but enough. I used the statue to help myself up, my blood was smeared onto the statue and I thought I was seeing things. For a fraction of a second, the symbols flashed bright white, something was waking up beneath the rock. As I left the village, I knew I could feel something watching me and I was right, the she-wolf was watching me from within the statue. 

I opened my eyes to see the mountains, everything was clam, but it was now clearer than ever how short time was. 

‘Surely I’m not supposed to fight a wolf?’ I whispered to the brother.

‘You might not have a choice anymore.’ He sighed.

I felt a rage that I hadn’t felt since coming to the sacred village. I couldn’t stop my body running on automatic anymore, I stood and screamed as loudly as I could into the mountains. Why was this happening to me? Why couldn’t I just have Remus? My family? My friends? Why couldn’t I just be me? 

I let everything I had leave my lungs, everything that I couldn’t stand holding onto anymore, all the worry, the frustration, the loss and heartache, everything needed to be gone. My body collapsed and I was left on my knees, heaving breath back into my body, anything to give me any strength to carry on. Why couldn’t I just stay here? The village was safe, far from harm and the only responsibility I had was to learn.

‘Angie?’ It was Yonten. I turned, feeling the tear cooling on my cheeks. ‘Do you understand now?’

‘I don’t want to understand.’ I cried and let my body fall completely onto the ground. 

It was a moment before Yonten sat with me, placing his hand on my head and carefully stroking my hair. 

‘It is a great ask,’ he sighed. ‘A twenty-two-year-old child, barely old enough to know who she is and the world is asking her to save it. It’s not just anyone who is asked to do such a thing, not just anyone is blessed with the strength of a thousand souls and not just anyone can make the hardest choices of all. You are like no one else and you were born to be better than any of us. It will never feel like it until you are old, but it is a gift to understand love the way you do, it will always feel like a burden when you are young, but give it time and you will see.’

I thought on his words for a moment or two, he was right, none of this felt like a gift, but I was here for a reason, an Oracle had died because he believed in my being here. I needed to do better. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never said the words ‘I love you’ to Remus, not once in the four years that we had been together had I ever expressed my love in that way for him. What was wrong with me? Surely I felt it, surely this was what love felt like, the desire to see someone else safe, to open yourself to another human being and accept them for everything they are. So why had I never said it before now?

‘Possibly, you are waiting for the right moment?’ Yonten offered. I was very used to the Oracles being able to read my mind, so it came as no shock that he knew what I was thinking. ‘You could send a Patronus? I can show you how to send them over longer distances, it might inspire you to try new things as well.’

I couldn’t find the energy to say no, so spent the next week learning how to send a messenger Patronus over a much longer distance. 

 

Remus was in the middle of a class with his sixth years, they were duelling and doing fairly well with the new spells that they had been taught, but Remus had been exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous night, so they were working in pairs, Remus would call out a spell and stand behind the student that was being attacked, just in case. They rotated and everyone got a turn to practice both the shielding charm and a new attacking spell that Remus was sure they needed to sharpen up on. 

It was Millie to stop first. She was just about to cast the spell Remus had called out, but instead of speaking the words, she frowned and looked to Remus’s desk. His blood ran cold as he turned. It was the parchment, it was making things shake on his desk, an urgent message from Angelina. Remus began mentally trying to figure out how he could get to Tibet and find her, but there was no need.

 

Remus,

This is important. I’ve sent you a message via Patronus, please tell me the second it arrives. All you have to do is stroke the head.

Yours

Angelina

 

Remus barely got past the first sentence before hearing his class gasp in disbelief. Remus brought up his wand to see Angelina’s wolf sitting in the middle of the classroom, just waiting for him to greet it. The wolf itself was about the size of her Animagus and in fact, it was similar in every way apart from the colouring. Remus had never seen a Patronus as white as that before. It was just as beautiful as she was and it looked stronger than ever. 

‘Sir?’ Millie’s voice cracked and Remus snapped back into the room. He could feel his eyes watering and cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. ‘What is it?’

Remus flicked his wand towards the parchment and sent it to Nathan, along with a quill.

‘Nathan, please write back that it has arrived. You’ll not need to do anything else. Please return the parchment to my desk as soon as you are done. Everyone else, you may leave.’ Not a single student moved.

‘That’s a Patronus, that is.’ One of the whispered.

‘Who’s?’ Came the reply.

Remus rolled his eyes, he had no idea what was in the message, but the wolf was getting eager for him to retrieve it as soon as possible. 

‘If none of you are going to leave, you can at least stand well back, wands at the ready.’ Remus commanded the class. Nathan put the parchment back on his desk and joined his classmates, keeping Millie close by. 

He edged closer to the wolf, never breaking eye contact. It was ridiculous, Remus had received messages in this form before, but he had only ever done it during the war. Finally, he was standing in front of the creature that was almost as tall as him, he lifted his hand to stroke the head and just like a dog, the wolf leaned into his touch. It was incredibly soft, it felt like pure magic beneath his fingertips and a voice softly speaking to him.

‘Remus, it’s me. Please know that I am safe and that this is proof of how far I have come already. I will come home, I will come back to you, I promise. I will never let you down. We will speak again soon.’ 

The wolf faded into nothing and Remus immediately missed the voice, it was Angelina, his Angelina and she had spoken to him in the voice that he hadn’t heard in months. She promised that she would come home and finally Remus believed it, finally he felt settled enough and sure enough that she would come back.

He had let his eyes close for just a second and when he opened them the class of students were watching him for answers. 

‘What happened?’ It was Nathan who asked. ‘It just disappeared.’ Some of the students put their wands down, clearly expecting something more to have happened. 

‘If you’d like to collect your things, we’ll finish there for today.’ Remus said, to the reply of groans. He was getting warm under his skin, her voice was like an echo, not so clear anymore, fading and making him feel sick. Remus didn’t dare move, he just observed as the class began dispersing. ‘Nathan.’ He called and the young man stopped. ‘If you could just wait a moment?’

Nathan quickly kissed Millie and watched her leave. It was a moment after the rest of the class disappeared before Remus felt his legs give way. Nathan was straight to him, helping him sit on the closest bench.

‘Are you alright?’ Nathan asked.

‘I’m fine, I just needed to make sure I didn’t fall.’ Remus explained, taking his tie and jacket off.

‘Should I get Madame Pomfrey?’

‘No, no, no, I’ll be alright.’ Remus took a few deep breaths, still trying to cling onto the remaining echoes of her voice. Nathan watched him for another moment or two, until Remus felt he could stand on his own without losing balance again. He took a deep breath and smiled at Nathan. ‘I have something for you as well.’ Remus said, gathering his things, aware that his shirt was a little damp from where he had been sweating. 

Nathan sat and waited for Remus as he went into his office and picked up the journals he had promised him. Remus took another moment to himself, he was okay, he just needed to be alone for a while and think on Angelina. 

‘I will need these back by the start of next year, but you are very welcome to study from them before then.’ Remus smiled, handing over three leather-bound journals that belonged to Angelina during the time she created her Wolfsbane potion. ‘Please take care of them in the meantime. They are very important.’

Nathan took the journals and looked at them in awe. ‘Sir? She is coming home, isn’t she? I’ve been reading up on the yetis in Tibet and-‘

‘We’ve been through this.’ Remus interrupted him. ‘Angelina is a very capable woman, she is in no danger from anything that she cannot handle and she will come home safe and sound. There is no need for you to worry.’

‘I know, it’s just that you said you thought something was coming.’ Nathan pleaded. ‘I just want to make sure that my family is safe.’

Remus sighed and observed the young man. ‘That Patronus was a message from Angelina, she has assured me that everything is fine and that she will come home when she feels she can. You are well protected within the school, you and Millie are safe while you are here, I can assure you.’

It took him a moment, but Nathan eventually saw that there was no point in arguing any further. ‘Thank you for the journals, I’ll be sure to take care of them. And please thank Angelina for them, I really appreciate her letting me borrow them.’ 

‘That’s quite alright.’ Remus nodded and watched as Nathan left. 

For the first time in a long time, Remus didn’t feel the need to break down and cry in the middle of his classroom, he felt just comforted enough to write back to Angelina.

 

Angelina,

It worked. I don’t know what you would need it for, but you have managed to send a Patronus from Tibet to Hogwarts in a matter of seconds. I can’t imagine what else you are learning there. Keep up the good work and you’ll be home sooner than you think.

Yours

Remus 

 

I did it. Remus got my message quicker than I expected, but he got it. I was exhausted afterwards, I didn’t want to do anything but rest, but Yonten had insisted that I find Wangchuk so that I could train for another couple of hours. It was rigorous and I was back to failing from exhaustion. 

The brother had kept his word and only spoke to me when I asked him a question, he felt different within me, it wasn’t the darkened presence I was used to feeling, it felt weaker than that and I was sure that he was giving up hope. 

‘How did you revive your mother?’ I asked, sitting looking out at the mountains one morning. ‘When you were dying you said you shouldn’t have done it?’

I heard the brother sigh. ‘It was very old magic, blood magic. She was animagus and dying, she found a way to live on as a wolf and we were children. We had no idea of what we were being asked to do and she should never have asked it of us. Angie, I don’t remember what it was she asked of us, she corrupted our memories of that day, but I do know that she required dark magic items to sustain her form until she was strong enough to live without them.’

‘That was what I saw, that thing you collected from the chest?’

‘Yes, it was a cursed object and she consumed its power in order to survive.’

‘How is that even possible?’

‘Blood magic is not like dark magic, Angie.’ The brother reasoned with me. ‘It requires an exchange or some form of sacrifice and unlike dark magic it has many more possibilities.’

‘You used blood magic to protect your son?’

There was a clear and uncomfortable pause. ‘I did what I needed to, you saw that… I carved the symbol for strength into my hand and used verbal magic to transfer a piece of me into my son. I would never let him suffer at the hands of Romulus.’

I thought for a moment, I wasn’t sure if what he described was quite possible. I knew what I had seen, but there was still something a little off. I decided it was best not to push the subject to much further.

‘I’ll ask you this once and I expect a truthful answer,’ I warned the brother. ‘Do you know how I can get rid of you?’

The brother took a lot longer to answer than I was comfortable with. ‘There are things we can try.’ Was all he said. 

I left the conversation there and continued my training. Yonten was pushing me harder and harder and I could feel him getting anxious. I knew from my time at home that powerful witches and wizards could feel danger coming before it arrived, it had always been described to me as a nervous feeling that wouldn’t go away, it meant something big was coming. 

Yonten had begun teaching me the Tibetan way of seeing into another’s mind and even placing information there, it was a form of Legilimens that wasn’t as intrusive. He also began teaching me Occlumency, both I would find useful during the tests. Yonten had been incredibly secretive about the tests, claiming not to know what they consisted of, but I highly doubted that. 

Finally, Wangchuk had finally trusted me enough to let me use weapons to learn how to fight, we started basic and continued on from there. My body ached and I wished it ached in a different way. I craved Remus more and more every day, it had been so long since I had seen him, spoken with him or even touched him. I missed the way he looked at me and then way I could tell when he wanted to kiss me, I missed him so much.


	14. We Were Losing Hope

Darren was exhausted when he woke up, he felt like he’d had no rest at all. He’d done as Angie asked, he followed her instructions and tried to train the way she taught him, he tried with everything he had, but it had been difficult to figure out on his own. The meditation alone seemed pointless, but if was working for her then it could work for him. 

Clara had been worried about him and the fact that he’d woken up exhausted more days than not. The Quidditch season was about to come to an end with the Falcons at the top of the league, maybe he could get some rest soon.

They had picked out a house on the south coast of England, Darren enjoyed the smell of the sea and Clara could breathe. It had everything they had been looking for, three bedrooms, a spacious living room and kitchen, a garden that surrounded them and plenty of room for Darren’s brooms. He had taken to letting Alfred and Alice grow supplies for the shop in the garden, knowing that Angie wasn’t likely to come back soon enough to keep up with the demand.

The shop had been doing well in Angie’s absence and Alice had taken to making sure her finances were dealt with, even taking her cut to her Gringotts vault so that she wouldn’t go without. Darren appreciated everything she was doing for the shop and had hired a couple more people to help with the day to day activities, all of them sympathetic and kind towards the werewolf community, it had almost become a requirement of the job.

The only thing that wasn’t as it should have been was Angie. She had written to him every chance she got, but without her actually being there, everyone was a little on edge. 

Darren’s mother had been getting ill every so often, mostly through exhaustion, there had been relatively small incidents happening all over the country and she had been pulled in every direction to deal with them. Darren was just glad that his father was the man that he was and could look after his mother properly. She just needed a few days to really rest and gather her strength again and she would be fine.

‘Don’t worry, she’s got a few days off coming up,’ his father said as they walked around Darren’s new house. ‘I’ll make sure she gets the rest she needs.’ They wandered into the spacious kitchen, it was very modern, all dark surfaces and white cupboards, there was an island in the middle of the kitchen with a stove and a few built-in appliances. ‘So, this is it then? Your new home?’

‘Once we’ve got a few personal pieces in.’ Darren nodded looking around at the place he would call his own. ‘We’re going to do a little shopping later in the week, but the Quidditch awards in a couple of days and Clara has a few work commitments she can’t get out of coming up, but we’ll manage it.’

His father nodded and smiled. ‘Well, you’re both welcome to stay with us as long as you need to get settled in. As long as you make sure to make regular visits when you are, I’ll get an earful from your mother if you don’t.’

‘I will.’ Darren laughed as they began to move upstairs to look at the bedrooms.

‘Sea view. Very impressive.’ His father smiled widely at the large window. ‘Your mother never could stand the sea, says it reminds her of Azkaban… I don’t think I blame her. It’s a wonder that her children take so well to the water.’

‘Well, I’m hardly going to go swimming in it, but I don’t mind looking at it and I suppose that’s the point.’

His father looked at him for a moment and smiled to himself. ‘You know Darren, I’m very proud of you. I don’t think I ever said it enough when you were young, but I am. You’ve come so far in such a short space of time, playing Quidditch in Japan, the World Cup, Regional championships, league titles… I won’t lie in saying that I don’t understand the gravity of what it means to you, but I understand what it is to love something so much that you can’t help but put everything you have into it.’ His father took a step closer and Darren could feel himself missing his father before he’d even left. ‘I could not have asked for a better son and Angie could not have asked for a better brother. I’m just sorry that I haven’t made that clear to you in the past.’

Darren smiled, feeling his throat go dry. His father had told him when he was young how proud he was of him, he always made it to a Quidditch game unless there was some disaster at St Mungo’s and he never made Darren feel unloved. 

‘To be fair, Angie did almost cure Lycanthropy, so I could understand if she’s your favourite.’ Darren joked, making his father let out a bark-like laugh. 

‘Angie’s smart, extraordinary. Both of my children are extraordinary.’ It was suddenly like he was trying to get Darren to understand something important, his voice taking on a much more serious tone. ‘You both have qualities that make you better than anyone I have ever met and you have wisdom enough to know how to use those skills.’ There was a tense moment in his blue-grey eyes. ‘I don’t know what the future holds for you and Angie, but I have more faith than I have ever had that our suffering will come to an end because of your efforts. Listen to what your heart says, I’ve always found it to be a better guide than any words.’ 

Darren and his father continued looking around the house, speaking about what Darren was planning to do with his new home, but he never let what his father said drift too far to the back of his mind. Angie had told him about working more on instinct and trying to work out if something felt right or not. He knew that he needed to work harder on defeating the brother, at least until Angie came home.

 

Remus was a little anxious about visiting the Lockwoods again, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to see them, but given Darren’s reaction to him, it was understandable that he would have reservations. 

‘Remus!’ Anna smiled widely, it seemed she had gotten good rest over the couple days she had off and Remus was at least glad for that. She held the door open for him to enter into their home and he was surprised to find that they had redecorated a little. Where it used to be darker in the kitchen area, it had become lighter, having cleared out some of Darren’s things and everything of Angelina’s had apparently been moved elsewhere, it looked to be fresher and slightly less cluttered.

‘Well, this all looks very nice.’ Remus said, looking around at the new changes. The dining table had also been moved closer to the living room and Remus could see that things had been moved around in there as well. 

‘Yes, while I’ve had a few days off, George and I have decided to get a few things in order.’ Anna was clearly feeling very good about herself which was a nice change from the last time Remus had seen her. ‘Darren’s moving in with Clara so we’ve had a bit more room to work with.’

‘I wasn’t aware that they’d settled on a place.’ Remus frowned, wondering why Clara hadn’t mentioned it in any of her letters.

‘Yes, a three bedroom, just on the coast.’ Anna’s bright blue eyes smiled as well, she was clearly very proud.

‘Clara always complained she didn’t have any room to breathe in her flat.’ Remus nodded, making a mental note to congratulate her. ‘Is George around?’

‘He’ll be in Angie’s lab, we’ve been taking care of a few of her plants while she’s been away, though she could have left some instructions for some of the things she’s got growing up there.’ Anna went over to the stove where the kettle had begun boiling. ‘Anyway, what’s been going on at Hogwarts? Harry settling in alright?’

Remus took a seat at the kitchen table and began giving Anna the updates on everything, there wasn’t much of note, but he did mention that he had news about Angelina for when George joined them. When he did, Remus couldn’t help but notice how worn down the Healer looked. His hair was greying more so than when Remus last saw him, his body looked as if it was failing him and his eyes seemed to be permanently bloodshot. He was exhausted in every sense of the word.

‘Remus, how are you?’ He said, shaking hands and going immediately to usher Anna out of the kitchen.

‘Well, George. Yourself?’ 

‘Same as ever, busy and without time.’ 

Remus wasn’t stupid, he could recognise fake energy when he saw it, the desire to hide just how tired you were by being overly energetic and even wearing yourself out to the point of physical struggle; all of it to hide how much you were really suffering.

‘Remus has news for us.’ Anna commented and sipped her tea, eagerly waiting for Remus to speak. George quickly poured his water and brought his mug over to the table as well, finally being able to rest his legs. 

‘It’s not huge news, but it is something at least,’ Remus began, not wasting any time. ‘Angelina sent a message via Patronus to me during the week. It came from Tibet and the message was uncorrupted, it made it within seconds of her sending it. She says she is safe and that she is learning more and more about how to defeat the brothers and allow her and Darren to live normal lives.’

Anna couldn’t hold her tears in, she was laughing and crying all at the same time. George placed his hand over hers. 

‘I thought it would be better to tell you in person.’ Remus nodded and smiled with them.

‘We were beginning to lose hope.’ Anna admitted and it seemed that George was about to tell her to stop talking until he remembered who was sitting in front of him. ‘Her letters were just the same old thing, over and over, we thought maybe she had reached a dead end.’

‘I’m ashamed to say that I was following a similar line of thinking.’ Remus agreed. 

‘If there’s one person we should never lose faith in, it’s our Angie.’ George’s voice was cracking and it seemed his exhaustion was seeping through. ‘I knew she would do it eventually.’

It took Remus by surprise that the normally very solid and unbreakable man that was Angelina’s father, suddenly began crying. It was heavy and filled with so much guilt and pain, he still felt so responsible for his children suffering. 

‘I’m sorry.’ He said and desperately tried to compose himself. Anna went to comfort him, but before she could, he stood up and wandered outside to breathe. 

‘He’s exhausted.’ Remus stated. ‘I know that exhaustion, he’ll get worse until Angelina comes home.’

‘I know.’ Anna smiled gently and nodded. ‘I’ve seen it before. It’ll only take one thing slotting into place for him to stop worrying, Angie is the first daughter the Lockwoods have had in a long time. Family of boys for years now, we know that it means something, but it’s the unknown that’s getting to him.’

‘The first daughter?’

‘Lockwoods have only had sons, we’re not entirely sure when the last daughter was, possibly there has never been on before Angie.’ Anna thought on it for a moment. ‘George won’t say it out load, but we both believe that a daughter means the end of suffering, but the end could mean anything.’ It was another moment before she spoke, one in which Remus could see she wanted to say something important. ‘I have no right to ask this and it will never be my place to ask this of anyone, least of all someone who means so much to Angie… but you have no idea of what the brothers are capable of, no matter how timid or trustworthy they try to make themselves, they are savage and vicious by nature… we have to help Angie and Darren in anyway we can even if that means-‘

‘I would happily give my life for hers.’ Remus interrupted. He could see where this was going a mile off. Anna was right in that she had no right to ask, but the truth was that she didn’t need to. If the day came, and Remus suspected it was coming sooner than anyone was ready for, then he would give his life to ensure the Angelina survived. ‘Anna I have already made my intentions clear about Angelina, I wouldn’t give any less for her than you would give for George, I can promise you that.’

Tears began streaming down Anna’s face, she felt equally as guilty as she did relieved. Everyone could feel something coming, they had felt it for a long time now and it was getting closer, making everyone sit on edge. How had they gone so long without Angelina?

Anna soon went out to George and Remus watched as he finally collapsed into his wife, she ushered him up to bed for an early night and they both decided it was time to take some time off to rest. Remus suggested that they go to France after hearing good things about it from David.

It was time for him to leave and head to the Potters for dinner. The Lockwoods needed to rest and Remus needed to check in on his old friends. 

The night had been fairly pleasant, Lily was in good spirits and it seemed in the mood for a good time with James and Remus. They began reminiscing about their first year at Hogwarts and how exciting it had all been, Remus remembered nights where they snuck out even then to cause trouble and set up pranks for the next day. 

The music was on and James began clearing up, he had early training the next day and hadn’t drank nearly as much as Remus or Lily, Lily being more affected by the alcohol than him. Remus was slouched on the sofa with her legs draped over his as James went about cleaning up around them both.

‘Right, as soon as I’m done, I’m going to bed,’ James kissed her. ‘Can I trust you to take care of yourself?’

‘I’ll make sure she makes it to bed.’ Remus assured him, but it only made Lily giggle. Remus covered his blushing face realising what he had said and couldn’t help but join in the laughing fit.

‘Merlin help me when I decided that you would be good for me.’ James smiled and kissed his wife again. ‘Behave, both of you.’ James stood up, chuckling to himself and left Remus and Lily to the rest of their evening. 

They sat for a moment or two, just listening to the music and finishing their drinks.

‘Please tell me you’re thinking of a prank to play on him as well’ Lily nudged Remus, who laughed and shrugged. ‘Or are you instead thinking of a distant land where a beautiful woman awaits you.’ Lily sat up, bringing her legs underneath her and watched her friend go red.

‘I miss her.’ Remus found himself admitting. ‘I don’t feel right without her.’ Remus leaned his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes. He felt Lily’s hand gently stroking his head, but it wasn’t the same as Angelina’s touch, not even close.

‘I know, I can see it.’ Lily said quietly. ‘But you said she would come home, safe and sound. If she loves you, then that will be the most important thing to her.’

Remus sighed and thought on how right it would feel to have Angelina and Lily in the same room, laughing and joking together, possibly making fun of him together. He wouldn’t mind, in fact, if it made her smile, Angelina could make fun of him all day.

‘Dance with me?’ Lily suddenly said, Remus opened his eyes to look into her green eyes and frowned. ‘We used to dance, remember?’ He could scarcely forget. ‘I always enjoyed having you as a dance partner, that was until you taught James how to do it properly.’

‘You’re welcome by the way,’ Remus snorted. ‘You have no idea how uncoordinated he was. Him! He played Quidditch for goodness sake, how could not know how to control his arms and legs?’ 

They began giggling for a little while, remembering how strange it was that James would need to be taught anything like that, surely Sirius would’ve helped him out. The thought of Sirius made Remus feel suddenly sick and Lily definitely noticed. She didn’t hesitate, she stood up, pulling his tired body with her and placed his hand on her hip while she took the other one to hold. They found their way to a more open space beyond the coffee table and Remus didn’t bother resisting, he just chuckled and allowed her to do whatever she wanted.

Lily didn’t feel like Angelina, she felt a little fuller and much more confident in her actions, where Angelina was slightly awkward and leaner than one would have expected. Lily rested her cheek against his chest and Remus allowed his chin to sit just above her head while they swayed to the music for a while.

Remus couldn’t remember the last time he felt like this, loved and safe and happy. He was safe within Hogwarts and he was happy when he was with his friends but something about those things always felt lacking. 

‘I’m going to marry her.’ Remus said quietly into Lily’s thick red hair. ‘My mother gave me her ring in the hopes that I would find someone who would take it, I want to marry Angelina… do you think she’ll say yes?’

Lily looked up at him, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. ‘You’re an idiot Remus Lupin.’ She whispered. ‘Such a fool.’ Remus’s heart began to sink as their hands slipped away from each other. ‘Why would think for a second of your life that you could ask such a thing?’

‘I-I just… well I-‘ Remus rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what excuse he could make and with the alcohol blurring his mind slightly he wasn’t sure what to do. ‘I’m in love with her… I want her, so I thought…’

‘And she is in love with you!’ Lily raised her voice and Remus was only partially aware of James sleeping upstairs. ‘She might not be good at the emotional things, but as soon as you ask she will realise how she feels. How could you ask me if I think she’ll say yes? How could you doubt her love for you? I’ve seen the way she looks at you and her father can’t stop talking about how happy she is when she’s with you… you’re an idiot.’

Remus began letting a smile seep through, it was just like Lily to make him think one thing and then the complete opposite in the space of five seconds. He pulled her close and hugged his friend as tight as he could. ‘Lily… I can’t believe I found her. I love her so much.’ Remus felt his tears beginning to get the better of him and Lily couldn’t help herself either. 

They hadn’t cried together for such a long time and it felt good to get everything off of his chest, but he would need to return to the castle and it pained him to leave Lily’s embrace so soon.

 

The Patronus had been a huge leap forward, I was able to send messages home over bigger distances and that meant I might have been strong enough to apparate over greater distances on my own, something that would have been incredibly useful for the journey home. I had done it once with the help of the brother at a time when I was in need of help. The brother had also been slightly more useful in the conversations I’d had with him, he was more willing to give up his secrets about his power, even showing me how to sense dark magic for myself.

Yonten warned me to be a little more cautious when taking advice from the brother and I made sure to always run what he said by the Oracles before I tried it. So far, the brother had been good to his word and I wondered if he thought that this might have been the end for him. 

I tried my hardest to apply my knowledge of sensing dark magic to sensing other types of magic, for that, I turned to Pema who had told me once that she could see a deep, everlasting love surrounding me. Together we trained to help me see it in others, learning about how different types of magic could be sensed in different ways, it wasn’t all about sight.

‘Do you still see it?’ I asked her one day. ‘The love?’ My white t-shirt was filthy, but I didn’t care that much, spending time with Pema was the calmest I’d felt in a long time.

Pema looked at me like she was assessing every part of me in detail. ‘It’s there, not as clear as it once was, but powerful and strong nonetheless.’ 

I wasn’t sure how to react, I had finally realised the extent of my love for Remus, surely it would be clearer now.

‘But the conflict is also fading. It’s all being replaced by something else, a mixture of many things. All of it trying to find balance.’ Pema explained further. ‘We must continue our lessons if you are to see these things in others… back to the flower bed.’ 

It was always back to the flowerbed, everything was always described as a flowerbed, the way things seemed to fit, colours and shapes and smells and the way they all came together to form something new.

Before I knew it, Remus had written a letter to say that Voldemort had come back in a strange form and tried to kill Harry. The details seemed a little off to me, it was something to do with a mirror, a stone and Professor Quirrell, but Remus assured me that everyone was fine and the only harm was to Professor Quirrell who died in the depths of the school.

I wondered if this was what everyone had felt coming, but something was telling me that it wasn’t even close.

I managed to send Darren a Patronus, one that would hopefully allow him to feel a little release from the brother while he was struggling to sleep and struggling to maintain focus. A small amount of magic that would block the brother’s access to Darren even for a short while. It was a handy spell that Yonten had taught me one day while we were discussing something in Tenzin’s books. 

I sent a Patronus to my parents as well to reassure them that I would be coming home as soon as I could and that I love them.


	15. A Friend in Need

Remus had been keeping a much closer eye on Harry and had sent James and Lily daily letters to let them know he was fine after they visited the hospital wing. He wasn’t sure of what Dumbledore had planned to do about the situation and the potential return of Voldemort, but he would do his part when required. 

‘Sir?’ 

Remus looked up to see Nathan at his office door. It was the last day of term before everyone went home for the holidays and Remus didn’t bother with his usual suited and booted look, instead he opted for his casual loose, untucked shirt and trousers. It seemed to take Nathan by surprise as well. Remus suddenly did up one of his buttons that revealed a scar he’d almost forgotten about, and half tucked in his shirt.

‘Sorry, in all my tidying, I forgot I’d sent for you.’ Remus chuckled, explaining the state of himself and his office. ‘I just wondered if I might have a quick word over tea?’

‘Sure.’ Nathan shrugged his denim jacket off and took a seat in one of Remus’s armchairs. It was strange to see the sixth year without his school robes on, but Remus rather thought he suited the dark skinny jeans and tight t-shirt look he had. Nathan had really grown into himself over the year and Remus had a good feeling that it was all to do with Millie Foster, his girlfriend. 

‘How has the year been for you? Educational, I hope?’ Remus asked as he prepared Nathan a cup of tea, but it seemed the young man’s attention lay elsewhere. ‘You alright?’

‘Hm? Sorry, sir, I’m fine.’ Nathan smiled and his dark eyes tried to meet Remus, but didn’t quite make it before flickering off to the side. 

‘You sure? You look as if there’s something else on your mind?’ Remus sat and handed him a steaming cup of tea. 

Nathan hesitated for a moment before rummaging around in his jacket to find a photograph, handing it to Remus. ‘Millie and I went out for dinner last weekend and Penelope had her camera, so she took this for us.’ Remus looked down and the picture which was Nathan wearing the same skinny jeans and denim jacket, but with a white shirt and converse, and Millie wearing denim shorts with black tights and a long-sleeved, red crop top, she wore thin round glasses, much like Harry’s and her blonde, hair was up in a messy bun. They were hardly doing anything, just sitting laughing with each other in the Three Broomsticks. ‘I know it’s not appropriate for you to say, but… don’t you think we look right?’

Remus observed the picture for a little longer and had to admit to himself, they did look right together. 

‘You both look very happy.’ Remus handed it back to him and watched Nathan smile down at the photograph. ‘I take it you two have been… well, how to put it.’ Remus chuckled.

‘I told her I loved her at Christmas,’ the young Gryffindor suddenly said. ‘She said I was an idiot for waiting so long to say it.’ Remus gave a small chuckle at that. ‘I hate that I didn’t say it after that class at the start of the year.’ Nathan eventually put the photograph away. ‘Sorry, I just… the guys get bored of me talking about her.’

‘That’s quite alright,’ Remus held his hand up. ‘I don’t mind hearing about how happy my students are. However, there is a reason I asked you here today.’

‘Yeah, sorry, I was walking Millie to the lake to see her friends, so I couldn’t make it up straight away.’ He rubbed the back of his neck a little bashfully.

‘No need to apologise, but I’ll try and keep this short.’ Remus sipped his tea and reached for an application on his desk. ‘Your grades have been consistent over the year, a little falter before Christmas, but everything eventually got back on track and I anticipate good results from your exams, so I took the liberty of sending a letter to George Lockwood, Angelina’s father. He’s a Healer at St Mungo’s and I let him know of your interests in becoming a Healer, that is if you are still interested?’

‘Yeah, absolutely!’ Nathan leaned forward to see the paper Remus had.

‘In that case, this is an application for a part time internship at St Mungo’s for next year, George is very willing to work to your class schedule and have you at the hospital when time permits. I’m afraid I couldn’t pull as many strings for Millie in the Aurors department, but I can send a few letters of interest on her behalf, will you ask her to let me know if she would like that?’ Remus handed him the application and Nathan’s jaw nearly dropped.

‘You seriously did this for me?’ He breathed.

‘You’re a fine student, I feel sure you would have done well on your own, but it never hurts to lend a hand now and again.’ Remus nodded and watched him examining the application. ‘I also informed George of your particular interest in Lockwood’s Wolfsbane, I’m sure if you speak with him yourself he will be happy to share a few things with you on the matter.’

It took a moment or two for Nathan to comprehend what was happening. 

‘Thank you so much.’ His voice was barely above a whisper. ‘If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you-‘

‘Nathan, there really is no need.’ Remus smiled interrupting him. ‘All I ask is that you work hard during your last year of school and be happy. Of course, my door will always be open if you need anything else.’ Nathan nodded, but again his attention was elsewhere. ‘Are you sure there isn’t anything else on your mind? I won’t force you to say anything if you don’t want to, but you just seem a little distracted.’

Eventually Nathan carefully folded the application and tucked it away in his jacket pocket, he sat for a moment or two sipping his tea and thought about something that looked important. ‘Can I ask you a question? But you have to promise not to laugh or judge or tell me I’m ridiculous.’

‘I will try my best.’ Remus nodded, throwing one leg over the other and waiting for him to speak.

‘I don’t know, it sort of feels like… things are a bit… delicate.’ Nathan started and it made Remus frown, but he continued to listen anyway. ‘Like there are things that need to be done and said soon, but finding the right time… I mean the right moment…’ he suddenly stopped speaking and Remus decided that he might have needed to change his approach.

‘Can I suggest you stop thinking of me as your teacher for a moment? Often the boundaries set in place here can be slightly obstructive when speaking on delicate matters.’ Remus suggested and Nathan thought for a moment. ‘The school year is over Nathan, for the next six weeks I’m not your Professor and as much as I’m sure I’ll regret saying this, there are no inappropriate questions.’

Nathan nodded with a small smile and ran his hand through his messy dark hair, it had gotten a little long since Easter, but it suited his handsome features and his bulky body quite well, he reminded Remus of some kind of teen heartthrob. 

‘Okay, so you probably knew this already being your girlfriend and all,’ Nathan found a new wave of confidence that had Remus sighing internally. ‘But I just wanted to ask if you remember the moment you decided that Angelina was the one? I mean, was it clear for a second or did it happen over time?’

Remus thought for a moment, Nathan had yet to give away any of his secrets and had never shown any malice towards him, he was just a boy trying to find his way. 

‘Well, you’re of age, an adult and I did just say that there are no inappropriate questions,’ Remus reasoned out loud. ‘I knew Angelina was the woman I couldn’t bare to be without while we were in Reykjavik. It was just a weekend away, but the days I spent with her were the best I’d ever had. Everything was just clearer, calmer and… right.’

Nathan clearly wanted to ask more about Reykjavik, but thought better of it, instead he turned his attention to his question. ‘Do you think it’s stupid that I’m already thinking about asking Millie to marry me? I’m not going to ask her right away, but I’m hoping by the end of seventh year we’ll be engaged… I just… ever since first year, I always liked her and then the end of fifth year came and I realised that I really didn’t want to go home knowing that I wouldn’t see her for the summer. Then I saw Angelina and you together and I… I wanted that with Millie. Is that pathetic?’

‘No.’ Remus smiled. ‘What I have with Angelina is more than I ever thought I deserved, I want everyone to have what I have, to feel as lucky as I do.’

The two men sat for a moment, thinking on the women they loved.

‘So, you going to tell me how you managed to get her to say yes to you?’ Nathan broke the silence, making Remus laugh. ‘No offense, but she is a bit out of your league. Don’t get me wrong, I know a decent looking bloke when I see one, but she is something else.’

Remus sipped his tea to stop himself laughing. ‘She is very beautiful, but no, I will not divulge those details to you just yet.’ 

‘Was it as public as mine?’

‘No, nowhere near. Angelina isn’t the type to put her feelings on show like that. She always loved to showboat when she could, but it was never with anything important, mostly entertaining the first years out in the court yard.’ Remus smiled. 

‘I think I remember that. So, she’s the quiet romantic type? I see.’ Nathan teased Remus. ‘And obviously you’re the brooding, observant type, so I see how you get along so well.’

‘Brooding?’ Remus cringed.

‘Something Penelope said at breakfast once,’ Nathan brushed the comment aside. ‘She has the biggest crush on you, I think she hates Angelina a bit because of it.’ Nathan shook his head, making it obvious how silly he thought it was. 

‘I’m not sure I like hearing that.’ Remus frowned. ‘But I was aware of her… well, I am aware.’

‘Can I ask another quick question before I go?’ Nathan checked his watch and Remus indicated for him to ask away. ‘Did you know that Angelina… I’m suddenly realising that this might not be my place to say, but did you know that she fancied when she was in school? It’s weird because she mentions some stuff in her journals about her feelings, but it’s all a bit… I don’t know, mechanical, like she didn’t really have the right words for what she was feeling.’

Remus stopped sipping his tea and stared at Nathan. ‘What do you mean?’ He asked, placing his teacup down. 

‘Well, I can give you the journals back and you can see for yourself, but she says something about listening to the story of how you were bitten and its kind of… well, it’s sad. She talks about wanting to take care of you and how she was a bit scared that no one ever had. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have read it and I should have given it back as soon as I did.’ Nathan suddenly panicked over the appropriateness of the conversation.

Remus shook his head. ‘You were right to bring it up. Would you mind bringing the journals so I could see for myself? I never read any of them, I was there so I didn’t think it necessary.’

‘Yeah, of course.’

Nathan had eventually brought Remus the journals and he spent the rest of the day reading through some of the passages Nathan had mentioned. He was right, there was already signs that Angelina had growing feelings for him at fifteen, but she never seemed able to recognise them properly. 

Remus sighed and leaned back in his chair, he wasn’t sure what to do, this wasn’t exactly a problem, but it was something that needed to be discussed with Angelina, did she know she had written these things? Did she know what they meant? How did Remus feel about the whole thing? There was only one person who could have given him any comfort at that moment, but she was currently moving into her new home on the coast. Clara Wells, soon to be Clara Lockwood. He decided to wait until she was settled in before asking to meet with her and with Darren not sleeping very well in recent times, everything was becoming a bit of a burden. 

 

Remus,

I can’t come back for the anniversary, please go for me and tell everyone that I’m sorry. Jack would understand why I wasn’t there and that’s all that matters. Tell everyone how much I miss them, but I’ll be home soon and I’ll visit as soon as I am.

I suppose Harper and Jackson are getting big now? I’m sorry that I’m missing them grow up, but in a way I suppose I’m doing this for them as well. I can’t explain it right now, but it’s something about the children, it’s a thought stuck in the back of my mind, but I’ve been told not to ignore it. “Often things that linger so close to the surface, do so because of their desire to be seen and examined.” Yonten said that to me, I think it’s his way of say “don’t bottle things up”.

I hope you are well, I can’t apologise enough for being away from you for so long, I honestly thought it would only be until Christmas and now you must be getting ready for the holidays, some woman I am for letting you wait all this time.

I’ll be home when I can. I miss you.

Yours always

Angelina 

 

Pema could see that this was getting to me, the loss of Jack weighed a little heavier two years on, I wondered what my life could have been if he had survived. What if I had known the things I know now? Could I have saved him? Would he still be working at St Mungo’s? Would he have found someone else by now? Would we have found the cure for Lycanthropy yet?

‘Dwelling swells the heart you know?’ Pema said kindly. We were replanting a few bushes around the temple and I couldn’t help but smile at her kind face.

‘Jack was my best friend,’ I said, getting on with my task, not caring that my fingers were aching. ‘Ever since first year, I met him on the boat we took to the castle, I’d never met anyone as outspoken as him before, his confidence was through the roof. It never died down either, never wavered and he was always up for a good time and always helped me come out my shell a bit. We used to put on these flashy shows in the courtyard, truthfully we were just trying to impress the first years,’ I laughed. ‘But I never felt happier than the times when we were just hanging out, talking about nothing and teasing each other about one thing or another… I miss him.’

Pema didn’t say anything, she probably knew all about Jack just from looking at me, but she would never see his grey eyes like I did, never see them as the life faded away or his handsome face under the rubble. I hated that it was the last thing I remembered about Jack Rathborne, but it was a reminder that he was a hero and no one could say otherwise. He defeated a dark wizard, he fought bravely, he even smiled when it looked like we could win. But I would never see that smile again and it killed me that I felt responsible for that.

I looked through a few old photos that night, I only had one of each of my friends, the one of Jack was from the day we were in the papers just before fifth year, the year we created Lockwood’s Wolfsbane. His smile seemed somehow brighter than anyone else’s, like he was the proudest out of any of us and maybe he was. For me, it was just a summer project, for the werewolves it was a way of survival, but for Jack it would be his greatest achievement. I wondered if he had any idea that in five years his life would end. I wondered what would happen in the next five years and if he had plans that he never saw through.

The summer came in quicker than I expected, but as always, the weather hardly changed in the village and I simply continued to train hard. I was beginning to be able to identify simple pieces of magic surrounding people, just things like whether it was dark, blood, ancient, complex, every day or even none of the above. Nothing was too specific just yet and I really had to focus in order to see these things, but I was getting there and I knew Tenzin would be proud.

‘When are you going to tell me more about the tests?’ I asked Wangchuk during one of our weapons training mornings, he kept reminding me not to get distracted while I was fighting, but I had done well up to that point in being able to multi-task. 

‘Keep your focus, I won’t make this easy for you.’ Wangchuk gave a slightly cheeky smile and I knew he was about to fake me out before swiping under my leg. To my surprise that wasn’t what happened, he didn’t fake me out, he just hit my arm hard, making me drop my staff. 

‘Ouch, hey!’ I rubbed the sore skin and frowned at him.

‘Your opponents may try to deceive you in what they are planning if you do not deal with them quickly.’ Wangchuk picked up my staff and looked down at me. ‘The longer a fight goes on, the longer your opponent has to figure out your tactics, do not let that happen, instead trust your instincts and bring them down.’

He threw the staff back to me and we trained throughout the day, I didn’t ask about the tests again and he didn’t bring it up, I was too worried he’d hit me harder the next time. It was a lot of effort on my part to keep up the concentration with Wangchuk, but he just laughed and agreed, telling me that it was kind of the point of all this. I had to keep reminding myself that it was all about focus, what I could and could not focus on would decide the outcome of each choice.

I suddenly stopped on my way back to my room, Wangchuk turned to look at me and his eyes suddenly widened.

‘Well that is a lot of thoughts all at once.’ He laughed, he was referring to the fact that I had just reached a conclusion in my head, before it was suddenly whisked away in the crowd of other questions.

‘I just had it,’ I said, quietly. ‘It was right there, I was so close. What was it?’

Wangchuk took a step towards me and looked at me. ‘Well, is it something to do with coins?’ 

‘Coins.’ I frowned, before the conclusion came barrelling back. ‘Yes! Yes, that was it. The coins, I’ve seen them in Tenzin’s books and in the brother’s memories. I can’t remember what it said, I’ll have to look at it again, but it’s important. I need to find one.’

‘Well, okay, good luck.’ Wangchuk smiled and laughed a little when I frowned at him. ‘Your mission Angie, not mine.’ I should have known better than to think he would help me. Wangchuk wandered away chuckling to himself and I rolled me eyes, heading back to my room for sleep. I had the distinct impression that I was being watched very closely by someone in the temple, but I didn’t dare look up.

I thought about the coins I had seen in the brother’s memories, the ones he pocketed just before they retrieved a box from the cottage. I’d seen those same coins in one of Tenzin’s books, they behaved sort of like portkeys, but could be used to call someone to your location. What would the brothers want with something like that? 

‘Right, you can see this as well,’ I sighed looking at the book. It was the middle of the night and I knew I should have been sleeping, but if the brother could help then maybe it was worth it. ‘What do you know?’

‘I didn’t use them.’ He coughed, he was getting weaker every day, I could feel it. ‘I never knew what they did, just that they had magical properties I thought I could use to help my mother.’ 

‘Help her how?’

‘She was sick, her body was failing her, we tried everything.’ The brother coughed a little more violently. ‘I thought I could heal her body by taking away the sickness.’

‘Extracting it and sending it somewhere else?’

‘We were boys, we didn’t know.’

‘Well, what did you do with them?’

‘We left them in the cave, sealed it when she was strong enough to leave, they’re probably still there if you’re looking.’

I sighed and thought about the young brothers, fifteen years old and all they wanted was to save their mother. It was sad and it made me feel for them, none of this was because of hate, it was all for love and it terrified me.

 

Remus kept his promise, he went to the gathering at Jocelyne and Benji’s house to pay his respects to Jack and was hardly surprised to find that there were a lot of people there. Benji had Harper on his hip and another man Remus didn’t recognise was playing with Jackson.

‘Remus.’ Jocelyne greeted him with a kiss to his cheek. She was getting more beautiful by the day, her light blonde hair curling around her pretty features and her big bright eyes looking at him with love. ‘I’m glad you could make it.’ Jocelyne gestured towards the back of the house where a small gathering was taking place. Their garden was gorgeous, it was clean cut, modern and had only a few key pieces to make it their own.

To Remus’s surprise, Harper began pointing and laughing at him, getting very excited at his presence. Remus went over to Benji immediately, who was talking to a few aurors that he just about recognised.

‘Well, well, well, here he is, Harper. You happy now?’ Benji smiled at his daughter and kissed her head letting her reach out to hug Remus.

‘Good to see you Benji.’ Remus nodded, before giving in and taking Harper from her father. She wrapped her small hands around him and began giggling. ‘Hello Harper, how are we today?’

‘Both of them were getting a bit anxious waiting for you to arrive.’

‘Oh really?’ Remus smiled, holding Harper’s hand and letting her entertain herself for a while. ‘I have a feeling you’re using me for my tricks.’ He joked and once again she giggled, hiding her face in his shoulder. ‘That’s what I thought.’ Remus laughed and Benji couldn’t stop smiling at them both.

‘I’ll catch up with you in a bit.’ Benji said to the three aurors he had been talking with and led Remus over to where Jackson was still playing with a man Remus didn’t recognise. He picked up his son and went back into the house. ‘I think my children are beginning to love you.’

‘I’m sure they’ll grow out of it.’ Remus retorted, again letting Harper play with his hand in whatever way she found most amusing. 

Benji opened the fridge and brought out a butterbeer for Remus and a chocolate frog for the twins to share. 

‘Remus, don’t take this the wrong way, because I don’t mean it the way it’ll probably come out,’ Benji started, helping Jackson eat without getting too messy. ‘But I want these two to grow up in the best possible conditions.’ Remus could feel his heart sinking as Benji spoke, but understanding began creeping in, he knew that his relationship with the twins couldn’t last. ‘I just wanted to ask what the Potters did about your condition and Harry?’

Benji sat down, indicating Remus should join him. Remus felt himself getting nervous and a deep sadness washing over him. He adjusted Harper to sit more comfortably on his lap while she ate her chocolate and tried to absorb how nice it felt to be unconditionally loved by a child the way Harper and Jackson did.

‘If it makes it any easier for you both I can extract myself completely until they both make it to Hogwarts.’ Remus sighed, trying to smile. ‘I understand your concerns and I appreciate that you have a family to look after. I would never try to disrupt that with my condition.’

Benji looked at him blankly for a moment. ‘Remus, I was asking how they brought it up and taught him to think of you the same as everyone else? We don’t want you to leave our children, if anything we’d rather you were here more often given that they’re getting to that age where they’re exploring on their own a bit too much.’ Benji half laughed and shook his head. ‘Jocelyne and I were talking the other night, mostly about the things we want them to have and we realised that it might mean we need to ask for a little help. Neither of us grew up with parents reminding us that people like you are people too, we want to make sure they do. I drew the short straw in asking if you had any tips.’ Benji shrugged and wiped his son’s face.

Remus wasn’t sure what to say, he had never really been approached with this type of request before, and he had never considered the idea that with Benji and Jocelyne being Angelina’s best friends, that they would be more encouraging than the average family. 

‘I-erm-I… to be honest,’ Remus chuckled. ‘James and Lily never asked for my help in the matter.’ He rubbed his neck and began making shapes for Harper to play with. ‘I suppose when they are old enough, reminding them that people like me are still dangerous no matter how much wolfsbane I drink, I will still be what I am… but I will try to visit more often if that is something that will help?’

‘Absolutely.’ Benji nodded. ‘We would love to have you here more often, just make sure you bring Angie when you can, they need to know who their godmother is.’

‘I’ll do my best.’ Remus assured him.

Remus spent most of the time playing with Jackson and Harper, letting them play with the shapes he made, he didn’t mind that he was the one left with that responsibility, in fact, he preferred to give everyone else the space to grieve for a while.

‘…and how are my two favourite godchildren?’ David said excitedly and hugged both of the young redheads with all the love he could muster, before sitting on the living room floor with them and Remus. He noticed that David didn’t exactly look the way he did the last time the two were in the same room, he looked like he’d lost a little weight and sleep had made a conscious effort to stay away from him. David actively avoided eye contact with Remus while he played with the children for a bit, letting them get over the excitement of him arriving. 

‘How are you David?’ Remus asked, not wanting to mess around. ‘You look like you’ve seen better days.’

David’s dark eyes shot up and met with Remus’s, they were bloodshot and fear sat in the centre for all to see. ‘I’m fine.’ David shook his head.

‘Okay, but I would point out that if I’m the one saying you’ve seen better days, then something must be out of place.’ Remus pushed a little to see if David would crack at all. ‘I’m just making sure you really are okay.’ 

David didn’t answer, he just carried on playing with the children, it was only when Jackson was handing him a toy that Remus noticed David’s bruised and shaking hands. Remus knew exactly what was wrong and his heart grew heavy for the young man.

‘Do you remember in your seventh year when Angelina was in hospital being treated for withdrawal?’ Remus asked, David tried not to pay any attention to him. ‘She spent a month in cold sweats, shaking, vomiting, losing consciousness and much worse, all of it because she had been taking the dreamless sleep more regularly than she should have done.’ David slowed his movements, still entertaining his godchildren. ‘I went to see her every day, because she needed someone to be by her bedside, someone who might have known what it was she was going through and to answer questions if she had them. She didn’t need to ask me to help, I did it because it was the right thing to do.’

‘You did it because you loved her.’ David mumbled, miserably. 

‘Yes, but not in the way I do now. I loved her because she was my friend… as are you.’ Remus finally got David to look him in the eye again. ‘How many people do you know that can relate to what you’re going through?’

‘You don’t know what I’m going through.’

‘No?’ Remus let Harper climb onto his lap again and rest against his chest, while he stretched his legs, leaning back against the sofa. ‘You don’t think I know what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night shaking, soaking in sweat and in need of anything that will calm the nerves? Or what it’s like to think that there’s no one in the world who could possibly care about me? Or what it’s like to think that I don’t deserve simple kindness because of what I am?’

David just watched Remus for a moment as Harper began falling asleep against him, it was getting late and it was well past their bed time. 

‘I… Cassandra’s gone.’ David’s dark eyes started to fill with water as he looked at Remus. ‘I was asked to leave the ministry… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.’ 

Remus didn’t hesitate, he scooped up both Harper and Jackson and indicated to Benji that they needed to be put to bed. Benji led the way and once Remus had put them down, their father got them changed and ready to sleep. ‘I’ll be taking David to St Mungo’s, he’s not well.’ Remus quickly explained.

‘Is he alright?’

‘He will be. Trust me when I say that this is the best thing for him right now.’ Remus smiled and squeezed Benji’s shoulder gently. He went back to find David already up and putting his jacket on, they left saying their goodbyes to Jocelyne and Remus stopped at the end of the road. ‘David, this will not be easy and it will not be pleasant, but as soon as it’s over we can start to look at putting things right again.’ David nodded, fighting his tears back. ‘You need to understand that I can only do so much, you have to want this.’

They apparated straight to St Mungo’s and Remus asked for Lily knowing that she was working that evening.

‘Remus?’ She frowned. ‘Everything alright?’

Remus put his hand on David’s shoulder, with a questioning look in his eye.

‘I… I’m here for your help.’ David’s voice was small and Remus could sympathise with him, asking for help was a difficult task for him. 

‘Well alright then,’ Lily smiled and slipped into Healer mode. ‘Let’s find you a bed and see what we’re working with.’

Lily did her job as well as she could, reminding him that it would be a long and difficult few days, it would get worse before it got better, but he would be under constant monitoring to make sure he recovered properly. Remus promised he would come back every day to check on him and even offered to keep an eye on his house while David was away. He could do this for Angelina.


	16. Succeed or Die

‘I hope you have learnt enough.’ Yonten said behind me. 

It was one of the only mornings during the summer that I had woken with a clear mind and I had taken advantage of that, going to early morning training with the warriors and helping Pema with a few errands. 

I turned to face Yonten after watering a few of the bushes next to the temple, his face was stony and unreadable, but I had a deep sense of fear washing over me.

‘You will face the first test today, there is no more time to waste.’ He said and gestured for me to follow him, I could see Wangchuk looking nervous as I was taken past him to the training arena. Yonten stopped in front of the pillared archway and looked down at me. ‘No one will be able to help you, you either succeed or you die.’

‘Wait, what-?’ I had no more time to question Yonten before he pushed me into the silent arena. I whipped my wand out on instinct and felt my heart thumping hard against my ribcage. What exactly was it that I was expected to do? Was he really expecting me to die? Without saying goodbye? Without knowing what it was I would face?

I brought my wand up a little higher and took a deep breath, if this was a test then I needed to focus, I needed to pass. I tried to listen for anything that might have been close by, stepping cautiously around the outer edge of the arena, my eyes darting around trying to see anything I could. But there was nothing. What was it I was supposed to be fighting? Was I even supposed to be fighting? It could have been some kind of riddle or puzzle, it could have been anything. 

Yonten hoped that I had learnt enough and I had the sinking feeling that I hadn’t learnt anything that would help me out of this situation. 

I felt a cold breeze brushing past my arm, I remained still for a moment and listened to the subtle sounds of a jaw opening slowly behind me, I leaped forward to get away from whatever creature was behind me, only to see something scurrying back into the shadows of the arena. It was another few minutes before anything else happened. The silence was killing me, if there was something there, why didn’t it just show it’s face?

I tried to get a little lower to the ground, trying to see what it was that hid in the shadows under the edge of the arena, but there was nothing there. At least nothing I could see. I suddenly had an idea, if I could see any kind of magical trail then I could figure out what was most likely stalking me. All I could feel was a dark trail that led nowhere, it felt the same as that day in Diagon Alley when I first began sensing dark magic, tempting to follow, but not quite what I had been looking for. This time the thick, silky stream of magic that ran between my fingers was the only thing that gave me any indication that something else was there.

I could feel the dark trail moving, the creature was moving to a location just in my blind spot behind me, I didn’t move and kept my eyes focussed in front of me. The sound of that jaw opening sounded again behind me, it wasn’t quite as close as the last time and I waited a second longer before firing off a stunner.

It was a Quintaped, a five-legged beast that was classified as dangerous, a known wizard killer with little to no chance of becoming domesticated. What was one doing in Tibet? They were only really native to one island in Scotland because of how dangerous they are. I looked at it a little closer as it writhed around from the stunner, it seemed to be struggling with one of it’s legs. Each of it’s legs had a strange deformed foot on the end, but one of them seemed to be facing the wrong way, broken possibly.

I could hardly let it go on in pain, if there was a chance to help it and get out of there, then I had to take it. Getting close was going to be hard while it was conscious and trying to eat me, but it was obvious that the poor thing was in a lot of pain. I couldn’t wait too much longer to make a decision, the Quintaped was finding it’s way back to it’s feet, keeping the one closest to it’s mouth tucked away so as not to injure it further.

It was only now that I could see the size of the creature, more than twice the size of me, covered in red-brown hair that was a little patchy in places, it’s big yellow eyes finding me immediately as it’s jaw slowly opened once again. I didn’t hesitate this time, I flicked my wand to freeze the creature in place, knowing I wouldn’t have much time to inspect the broken foot of the Quintaped. 

I did my best to find out where it was broken and snap it back into place, the creature let out a wail and I could see a few tears beginning to build in it’s eyes.

‘I know, I know,’ I tried to calm it and remember everything I could about Quintapeds, was there anything that it would respond to? Could I help it with the pain? What spells worked? Were there any that would do more harm than good? I racked my brain being as careful and as gentle as I could with it’s foot. ‘You’re okay now, we’ll have you fixed up in no time.’ I tried to speak calmly so as not to upset it.

Finally I conjured a splint and some bandages to wrap around the leg and keep everything in place while it healed, just as I did, I could see the immobulus charm wearing off, I couldn’t cast it again while some of the effects were still in place, but I didn’t want it moving around too much while I was still working. I needed to finish quickly and work out how I was going to get out of there.

It suddenly occurred to me to try the door that I came through, if it was a test then there was nothing to say that the solution wasn’t simply walking out of the door again. But then why put me in here with a deadly beast in the first place? I quickly tightened the bandage just as the charm was wearing off and sprinted over to the door, which disappeared just as I got to it.

I fell through the archway to see Yonten look back at me surprised, Wangchuk was the same until he began breaking out into a small smile. It looked as if it had only been seconds since I entered with the Oracles still just walking away from the arena.

‘You finished.’ It was a slight question, but more shock that came from Yonten. ‘No one has ever finished that quickly before, tell me what you did.’ He demanded, but I suddenly felt my anger catch up to me.

‘Succeed or die?!’ I yelled. ‘Those were the only two options you gave me! Are you serious?! You locked me in there with a deadly beast, no warning, nothing to say what I had to do to get out.’ 

‘You slayed the beast?’ Yonten frowned, taking no notice of the fact that I just shouted at him in front of the rest of the village.

‘No! I fixed it’s leg and ran away as quickly as I could! What was I supposed to do?’ Why would he think for a second that I would simply kill something on sight?

Yonten’s frown deepened even more before he turned to Wangchuk and the other Oracles, whispering in a language I still didn’t recognise, but I got the impression that he thought I hadn’t taken the test properly or that someone had let slip what would happen. Did he think that Wangchuk had told me what to do?

I risked a glance behind me to find that the arena was empty, nothing to suggest a Quintaped had been anywhere near it. They finally stopped whispering and Yonten turned to me. 

‘You have passed the first test.’ He said simply and nodded for Wangchuk to take me back to training. I had a good feeling that I wouldn’t see Yonten for a little while.

‘Let’s go.’ Wangchuk guided me to the pond and told me to make my way across it yet again. 

There was a heavy silence for a few minutes as I did as I was asked, still feeling the remaining anger subside and finding my task easier once it had. 

‘Yonten seemed angry that I passed.’ I said as Wangchuk set up a small obstacle course for me to make my way across. He said nothing. ‘Was I supposed to fail?... it’s not like I was going to kill the creature, what did he expect me to do?’

‘He expected you to trust your instincts.’ Wangchuk suddenly turned to face me. ‘To assess the situation and take the best course of action that would ensure your survival.’

‘And I did survive, so what’s the problem?’ I shot back and realised that it might not have been the best move.

‘Angie,’ Wangchuk moved slowly towards me. ‘You are being asked to lead a war, to ask that people die in the name of what is right, now while I maintain that whatever you decide to do will be what is best for everyone, I have to agree that if you cannot bring yourself to kill when the time calls for it, you may not survive and we will all lose everything.’

‘To kill?’ I breathed. ‘How could I be asked to kill anyone? How could you ask that of me? I’ve done everything you have asked because I believed you were teaching me what the alternative was… I won’t kill my brother, not while there’s a chance he can survive this.’

‘What if there is no other choice?’

‘There is always another choice! Always!’

‘People die in wars, people die every day fighting for the things they believe in, some are misguided and people like you must be strong enough-‘

‘People like me have to be strong enough to see that while there is hope, there is no need to kill. There was hope for that creature, it could go back to its home and live out it’s life in peace and I have no right to take that away from any creature on this earth!’

He paused for a moment and looked at me, considering my answer. ‘Your determination will not matter anymore, Yonten will change the tests and without knowing what is coming, I cannot prepare you.’

‘You didn’t prepare me for that!’ I screamed, my throat was killing me and the normally peaceful village felt hostile. ‘You never told me anything! You just watched as he pushed me into that place with something that could kill me! What if I had died? Your dreams of training a leader would have been over.’

‘They are not dreams, Angie!’ Wangchuk stepped towards me, not about to back down in the slightest. ‘Everything that is happening here has been predetermined, the future has been predicted by seers who have yet to be wrong, your future is set-‘

‘My future is not set!’ I could definitely taste blood in my throat. ‘My future is mine to determine! I will not kill!’

Wangchuk looked as if he was about to say something else, but decided better of it, we both needed the time to cool off and it was clear that whatever the test was supposed to be, I had only passed on a technicality. 

I wrote to Remus, my letter was long and painful to write, I couldn’t contain my tears and I knew that they would go with the letter and he would see how upset I was. I told him how I worried about what it was they were really teaching me, I wondered if I could still trust them, I hoped that I had learnt enough to judge for myself, I tried to imagine what Tenzin would say, what would Darren do? How could they ask me to kill a creature that was in pain when there was a chance to fix it? How much longer was I supposed to stay? And would I be able to survive the next test? Why didn’t I just stay home? Stay with Remus, find the cottage in my dreams, sit by the lake and read with him, curl up in bed and know that he would always be there, arms wrapped around my body keeping me safe. Why was I chosen? I wasn’t strong enough.

The only thing I knew for certain was that I was wrong, my future was set, it was inevitable, but it wouldn’t be the future they decided for me, I would carve it out myself and my family would live long, happy lives.

 

‘Remus, may I have a word?’ Dumbledore poked his head around Remus’s door and as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have, Remus quickly rushed to tidy his things a little.

‘Dumbledore.’ Remus nodded, indicating the armchairs. ‘Of course.’

‘Guilty conscious?’ There was a twinkle in his blue eyes as he sat down that told Remus he was highly amused by the unwarranted reaction to the Headmaster in his office. Remus sighed and smiled slightly. 

‘Tea?’

‘No thank you, I won’t be here long.’ Dumbledore looked into the fire for a moment. It was late and Remus had finished most of his marking of exams papers. He had wanted to bring something up with the Headmaster in the coming weeks anyway, but this might have been a good opportunity as well. Remus sat down and threw one leg over the other, getting comfortable to hear whatever he wanted to say. ‘Have you heard from Angie recently?’ Remus frowned. ‘I have a suspicion the Minister will want to speak with you again soon. I appreciate that her location and the real reason why she is in Tibet will need to be kept secret, but I’m afraid there is only so much we can do until decisions must be made.’ 

Remus froze for a moment. There was no possible way that he could know about Angelina’s real reason for going to Tibet, he couldn’t have known about the Lockwood history and he could not have known about what she was trying to achieve. But then again, he was Albus Dumbledore, there was no telling what he did and did not really know.

‘What kind of decisions?’ Remus played it safe, only to see that Dumbledore smiled, seeing straight through his façade.

‘I admire the display of loyalty,’ he said. ‘But there really is no need to protect her secrets from me. I remember the day that George and Anna found each other, much like Lily and James, the two did not see eye to eye for the longest time. As a boy George was always quick to anger, never satisfied with what he had, a craving to learn more about dark magic, old magic… blood magic.’ Dumbledore sat back and chuckled to himself. ‘I once caught him out of bed in what I believe was his fifth year of school, he was sitting in the middle of the restricted section reading dozens of books on werewolves, vampires, blood lines and it was clear that he was looking for something very specific. To this day, I still have no real idea of how he got in, but George was always resourceful, much like his children. I offered my help in whatever matter he deemed so important and saw that through all of his anger and frustration, he was also constantly fighting within himself, trying to find the right path. His parents were understandably worried when I wrote to them and they enclosed a secret with their reply, never to be told to anyone beyond the Lockwood family.’

‘The brothers.’ Remus breathed. Everything was suddenly a little clearer, all the time Dumbledore spent telling him to look after Angelina, telling him how special she was and he had no idea. The sound of Anna telling him that Angelina was the first daughter, sounded clearly in the back of his mind.

‘A story from over three thousand years ago, still affecting our children today.’ Dumbledore shook his head. ‘I had the displeasure of looking inside George’s mind once, only to be blocked by two vicious guardians, Romulus and Remus. I didn’t dare do the same with Darren and Angie for fear that I would see something similar, but I promised George that I would look after his children as best I could… I must confess that your appointment was not just because of your talents, I had wanted to see if your presence would bring about something in them, but it seems while they were completely unaffected… for the most part.’ Remus shifted uncomfortably and it only made Dumbledore smile. 

‘What were you hoping would happen?’ Remus needed to know if he was simply an experiment.

‘In truth, I wasn’t sure.’ Dumbledore confessed. ‘I had no expectations, nor did I have the desire for them to turn against you, I simply wanted to know if they could be trusted around you. Darren often said how wonderful a teacher you are and of course Angie chose to help you instead of harm you, in fact the very thought of harming you caused her more distress than we anticipated.’

‘I remember.’ Remus stopped him there, he didn’t need to relive the months Angelina had spent nearly starving herself over the thought that she was hurting him. 

Dumbledore nodded and took a small breath, finding his thoughts again. ‘I will return to the reason I am here. Have you heard from her recently?’

Remus nodded and sighed. ‘Yes, she wrote to me last night, I was in the middle of responding.’

‘Is she aware the minister is asking about her?’ 

It was a moment before Remus shook his head. ‘She has enough to deal with right now.’

‘That may be true, but she should be aware of the goings on concerning the safety of her family.’ Remus was about to interrupt. ‘I am unaware of the minister’s motives, but we should consider the possibility that he will want to use Angie for reasons we have not yet contemplated. I fear the events that unfolded at the end of the year will only attract his interest in keeping her close.’

‘I will tell her.’ Remus swallowed, thinking on what she had said about being asked to kill. ‘But not right now… she has completed the first Oracle test and it has… well, she’s extremely upset with it.’

‘The Oracles?’ Dumbledore leaned forward. 

‘Yes, the ones she’s with in Tibet.’

‘Remus, will you pass on a message for me?’ Dumbledore wasn’t messing around. ‘Please tell her that the Oracles, while vastly intelligent and knowledgeable in all areas of magic, they will be training her to follow the inevitable path, one that they have foretold. It is possible, if she is strong enough, to carve out her own destiny. While there is hope, no one need die for no reason. Please tell her that, I feel she will need to be reminded of her options.’

‘You have experience of the Oracles?’ Remus frowned, why wouldn’t Dumbledore have told him that already?

‘No, but I have had experience of others who have spent time with them.’ The headmaster didn’t elaborate any further than that. ‘I will do everything I can to keep the minister from seeing you, but there will come a point where suspicion will grow and I will have no other option than to ask that you meet with him.’

‘I understand.’ Remus nodded, he felt a little frustrated at Dumbledore, why had he only chosen to divulge this information now? Did he not think it might have been useful to Angelina? ‘I will speak to Angelina and pass on your message, but given what her letter contained, she is following a similar line of thinking. She was put in an arena with a Quintaped and instead of killing it, she mended its broken foot and ran away, saving herself.’

‘That is good news.’ Dumbledore smiled gently. ‘In the meantime, how is David?’

‘He’s…’ Remus sighed. ‘He’s getting worse as we all anticipated, but he will be fine once Angelina has returned.’

‘I feel we are placing a lot of anticipation on her return.’

‘I don’t think it’s unwarranted.’ Remus said, firmly. ‘She has been an important part of nearly everyone’s life and adjusting to life without her when it is unnecessary is difficult.’ He hadn’t meant to be so short with Dumbledore, but he couldn’t help being protective of Angelina, especially when she wasn’t around to defend herself. ‘I wanted to speak with you about David actually. He has been released by the ministry and I wondered with Professor Kettleburn leaving us next year… I want to put him forward as a candidate for the job.’

Dumbledore sat back and observed the Dark Arts teacher for a moment. ‘If he recovers in time for the school year, I will consider his application.’ Dumbledore nodded and began getting up to leave, it appeared to be the end of the conversation. At least Remus had asked the question and at least David would have an option to return to the school he loved so much once he was out of hospital.

 

Angelina,

I’m not sure what to say other than trust your instincts, this isn’t Bulgaria, I can’t see what you see and help you assess, but if there is something telling you that need to call them into question, then I suggest you listen. 

I wish I was there to hold you at night and I wish I could make everything better for you, but remember that you are there for a reason, you are making this sacrifice so that we can have the cottage beside the lake and I can read to you whenever you want me to. You are there so that we may have a life together, that’s what you always wanted and if there is one thing that you deserve in this life, it’s what you want.

The fact that you chose to save this creature, shows just how strong you really are. Remember the Triwizard tournament, you had no idea of what was ahead of you and you won anyway, you won and saved Fleur and Victor along the way. A lesser champion would have left them and went to find the cup on their own. You have never been less than anyone, your courage and intelligence have always been your strongest guides, never underestimate yourself when it comes to your skill. 

Angelina, you are extraordinary, you are beautiful, you are everything I never thought I could have in life and I will never stop telling you that I love you with everything that I am. I would do anything for you.

Trust yourself and you will not go far wrong.

I love you and I miss you.

Yours always

Remus

 

It was difficult for me to read Remus’s reply and not burst into tears. He was right, he understood why I was there, I needed to have a normal life with him and I needed to tell him that I loved him. I had no right to die until I had. 

I went out into the morning air and breathed in a lungful of the cool mountain air. It was time to train with the warriors. I pushed myself as hard as I could, stretching further and trying to see more, using my instinct to simply know it was there rather than forcing anything to happen. I could do this.


	17. Where There is Hope, There Is Life

Yonten was right the tests would change with every choice I made, I spent weeks being called upon to take all matter of test and complete tasks that I never had any experience in, but I trusted myself to make the right choices. While there is hope, there is life. 

The tests weren’t anything like I thought they would be, they weren’t simply obstacle courses or sparring with the more experienced warriors, they were much more complex than that. There was no objective given before I was told to enter into anything and I was beginning to understand why. War was chaos, it was unfair and choices made when in the middle of fighting were permanent as were the consequences of those choices. 

I held my nerve after every test, enduring Wangchuk’s words of warning, but I would not kill and I would not be forced to harm if it wasn’t necessary. I hadn’t been given a test for nearly three weeks, but I was sure one was coming soon and I was sure it would be a big one.

 

Remus had been there every day, as promised and finally David was showing signs of getting better, he had even gone to visit his parents to give them an update on David’s behalf. Remus had felt very out of place in the muggle home, but they were welcoming all the same, asking him all sorts of questions about their son and his options. Remus did his best to answer.

‘You’re looking a little better.’ He smiled, sitting next to David’s bed while the young twenty-two-year-old trainer shook and dripped with sweat, at least the vomiting had subsided over the last few days.

‘I feel terrible.’ David stuttered.

‘Yes, well, Lily told me she found a little more than just Firewhiskey and butterbeer in your system.’ Remus tried not to sound so disappointed, but he was afraid David could hear it in his voice.

David’s hair stuck to his forehead and his dark eyes never left the ceiling, Remus could understand the pain of moving even just an inch. 

‘It- it used to be so fun,’ he stuttered, his temperature clearly starting to drop as he shivered more violently than before. Remus placed a few blankets over his body and did his best to heat them up. ‘Angie and-and Jack, they used to get cases of-of butterbeer into the common room,’ David’s voice cracked and drifted from a whisper to almost a wail throughout his sentences and Remus’s heart felt a little heavier. ‘It was always a party with those two.’

‘I remember those nights when one of them was out of bed after curfew,’ Remus couldn’t help a small chuckle at the memories. ‘And the next day it seemed every Gryffindor above the age of fifteen was hungover.’

David let out a breath of a laugh, it was all he could muster in his weakened state. ‘I-I used to think it would be-be like that forever… I was an idiot.’

‘No, no you were never an idiot.’ Remus shook his head and removed a couple of the blankets as his temperature began rising again. ‘You were young and having the time of your life, there was no reason to think that it wouldn’t continue past school.’

Remus watched as his face began going red with the heat and wondered if he would need to call someone soon to help him. 

‘Tell me Angie is coming home soon.’ David suddenly said and Remus couldn’t respond. ‘Remus, tell me she will be waiting for me as soon as I’m out of here.’ There was a certain amount of anger that was beginning to build up in David’s voice. ‘You don’t understand… hers was the first kind face my face saw. The first witch I ever met and she saw my parents, that they were muggles and she loved me anyway, told me not to be nervous and I can’t…’ It was clear that something was causing him to be in more pain than normal as his body lurched upwards from his chest, his head thrown back into the soaking pillow, Remus darted for the door.

‘Lily!’ He shouted and the red-headed Healer at the end of the corridor whipped her head around and sprinted up to the room with George only paces behind her. David screamed and thrashed around with the pain, but there was only so much the Healers could do.

‘We’ll have to give him something at this rate.’ George called over David’s screaming. It took both of them to hold David down while the pain passed.

‘We can’t, the detox won’t-‘

‘He’ll cause himself more damage if we don’t and none of us have any time to monitor him at all hours of the day.’ George argued, firmly.

‘I can.’ Remus suddenly said and stepped towards the bed. Both of the Healers turned to look at him and he was barely sure of what he was saying himself. ‘Poppy is just back from her holidays and I’ve got no reason to leave the school, he’ll be the only one there and we dealt with Angelina in the same way.’

David had begun to calm down and soon sleep was taking over. George and Lily had a silent conversation between them, before George caved in. He strode up to Remus and it was clear that he’d already had a bad day.

‘I’m not asking you to do this, Remus,’ he growled and it was the first time that Remus had been truly scared of what George could do. ‘You can discharge him, sign him out, do what you like with him, but I cannot ask you to shoulder anymore responsibility for Angie’s friends, you’ve done too much in her absence as it is.’ 

Without waiting for anyone to respond, the older Healer left the room to attend to another patient. Remus looked to Lily who was adjusting the blankets so that David was comfortable and watched her sigh.

‘If he can be monitored then I have no problem moving him to another facility.’ She said and finally looked up to where Remus was still standing by the door. ‘He calls for someone called Cassandra in his sleep, whoever she is, it might be worth trying to find her.’

‘Cassie is… was his girlfriend, fiancé I think,’ Remus took a careful step towards the bed. ‘I believe they broke up because of his drinking.’

‘Remus, he’s been doing more than just drinking,’ Lily said, much more gently this time. ‘He had all sorts of stimulants in his system, probably things he was trying to stop himself drinking too much, but it’s no surprise that the ministry let him go, if he had been randomly tested during a medical, then there’s a good chance they would have cause to search his office and his home for narcotics.’

‘Narcotics?’

‘They’re all gone from his system now, but his body is going through a lot of pain, he needs to be carefully monitored and given the chance to recover properly.’ 

‘Poppy can do that,’ Remus nodded. ‘It’s still another three weeks until the term starts up again and I asked Dumbledore about considering him for the Care of Magical creatures post… do you think he will be able to do that?’

Lily stood up straight and folded her arms. ‘I can’t say. If he is taken care of properly, no short cuts, then maybe there is a chance, but he’s going to have to start doing his bit.’

‘I’ll make sure he does.’ Remus assured Lily and took his seat again beside David’s bed so that he could be there when he woke up. 

‘Why are you doing this, Remus?’ Lily suddenly asked. ‘George is right, you’ve already done more for him than anyone has asked, even he hasn’t asked for you help to this extent.’

‘David is an ex-student of mine, who just needs a little help adjusting to the magical-‘

‘Don’t give me that,’ she interrupted him. ‘Don’t give me the same rubbish you’re giving everyone else. Why are you helping him?’

Remus sighed and let his head hang a little lower. ‘Because, Angelina cannot come back and find that her friends have suffered without her, she needs to be able to focus without being burdened. She would do no less for you if I were away.’ 

Lily didn’t have any time to respond as she was called away, but Remus didn’t need her to, he knew exactly what she would say and it didn’t matter. As soon as Angelina was home, everything would be okay again.

 

There was still no sign of another test coming any time soon, but I never failed to make a training session, I meditated in my spare time, I sent letters and Patronuses to my family and friends, hoping that they were okay. I did my best to encourage Darren, to make sure he wasn’t suffering too badly, I sent as much information as I could on paper, but it was the magic I sent via Patronus that would help the most. I planted memories of the brothers in there for him to see, only what I thought I could safely send and I hoped he would understand what they meant.

Remus had written a long letter to tell me that David was in the hospital wing, he was suffering from withdrawal. My heart felt a little heavy when I thought about David, he was muggle-born and everything in the magical world was a little more overwhelming for him. Benji had warned me about his drinking and I should have done more before I left, he was one of my closest friends, he shouldn’t have been alone at a time like this.

I was at least glad that Remus was taking care of him, his expertise was probably more of what David needed anyway, but I should have been there to help him get through the worst, if Cassie had left him then I couldn’t think who else he would have who could see him at a moment’s notice. 

I sat and watched the warriors sparring with each other in the training pit and prayed that I learnt whatever else it was I needed to learn so that I could go home to Remus and my family.

I thought about the coins and wondered why my mind turned to the thought of them, it was the same as another thought stuck in the back of my mind. The children. Jackson and Harper were my godchildren, but there was something about them being children that was forcing itself to the front of my mind. Something about the children, but what?

I tried meditating on the thoughts, tried going through every memory I had of when I was a child, the day that my father fought off death eaters who were looking for my mother was one I revisited more than once. Darren had been told to keep me safe, he did exactly that, he kept me hidden away in a cupboard while he watched dad fight off death eaters. I could never quite see my father, only ever hearing the fight he was putting up to keep his family safe, but something about that day was important. I sent it via Patronus to Darren who I hoped would find a little comfort in it the same way I did. If there really was a war coming then we would need all the comfort we could get.

I spent another two weeks just going through routine, trying to think about new ways of seeing things, but nothing new was coming to me, I’d felt like I’d reached my limit and there was nothing more I could do until the Oracles decided to teach me again.

Wangchuk and Pema would go through old tasks with me, but never really teaching me anything new, they just continued to go through the same words, same motions and nothing more. I hadn’t seen Yonten since the last test and I couldn’t help but think that there would be no more tests, there was no final and big mission for me, this was it.

‘Angie Lockwood.’ I turned to see all three Oracles standing behind me where I was meditating. Yonten had the deepest frown on and I wasn’t sure of what it was I’d done exactly, but it wasn’t good, none of them looked pleased. ‘The Seer has no more words to say, it is over.’ 

‘What does that mean? What seer?’ I stood up, brushing off the little dirt that had gotten onto my linen trousers.

‘Kunchen,’ Wangchuk said, there was a little sadness in is voice. ‘She is the one who saw you coming and she is the one who showed us what would happen.’

‘She can no longer see what is ahead,’ Yonten cut in. ‘Therefore, we can no longer prepare you. It is over.’

‘You had a Seer,’ I was still putting the pieces together. ‘You were training me for a future that she saw, not the one I’m working for.’ 

Yonten’s expression showed a flash of anger.

‘The Oracles have been training warriors for centuries, we have been the foundation for victory for those willing to seek answers.’ Yonten was warning me to be careful with what I said, but what was the point?

‘What answers? The answers? Or the answers from a future that might not happen?’

‘You are a child and you are foolish, we will not waste time on someone who cannot accept their fate.’ Yonten turned to Wangchuk who handed him my bag. He threw it into my arms along with my broom and grabbed the scruff of my shirt, marching me towards the entrance to the village. ‘Go home and live whatever life you think you have left. You will leave as you entered.’

I had no time to argue, I looked back to see both Pema and Wangchuk turning away from me. Yonten raised his staff and the second he did I was cast back into the harsh snow of Manaslu, my body was suddenly weak, starving, the cold penetrating my bones and all hope seemed lost. I fell into the freezing snow on the ground and for more than a moment I couldn’t move. 

All of my energy was gone, my muscles hurt, even my skin stung against the cold winds, it was the dead of night and I was still wearing my linen trousers and shirt. Surely this was it, this was what death felt like. I never had the chance to tell Remus I loved him, never said goodbye to my brother, never even saw the end of suffering for werewolves, I had done nothing with my life and this was how it would end and no one would ever know.

 

Remus woke up feeling a little groggy, his body was rigid and a certain amount of misery sat in his chest. He slowly got dressed and headed down to the hospital wing with an application form for David. They had been filling it out little by little over the past week while he was a little more conscious and able to understand what Remus was asking him. 

He slumped into the chair next to David’s bed and opened his book, reading through small passages and marking a few things in the margins. David was still sleeping and if he stuck to his normal routine, he wouldn’t wake for another hour, at least Remus would be able to get some reading done in that time.

‘Oh you’re up?’ Poppy smiled, seeing Remus. ‘He’s had a hard night.’ It looked as though she had as well. ‘But hopefully another day or two and he’ll be okay.’ 

‘That soon?’ Remus turned to face her properly.

Poppy sighed and gave a sympathetic smile. ‘He was calling for Cassandra again, an hour or so after that, his fever began dropping.’ She didn’t say anymore, instead she just wandered away to her office. 

Remus looked over at David, he didn’t look as pale as he once did, his body was only shaking very slightly and she was right, his fever looked to be subsiding. Remus let out a sigh of relief, he would be okay. 

 

Mr and Mrs Wales,

I’m pleased to say that your son David has made a drastic improvement over the night and while he is by no means fully recovered, this is a very good sign. 

If you would like me to visit again, I will of course arrange to do so and explain anything I can. 

While I have no other news on your son other than he is recovering quickly, I hope you are doing well. I will ask him to write to you as soon as he can.

Sincerely 

Professor Remus Lupin

 

Remus had hoped that his letters to David’s parents provided some comfort, but honestly he wasn’t sure if they did any good at all, he didn’t know what it was he was supposed to do other than keep them updated. The brief thought that he never would have made it as a Healer drifted through his mind, he wouldn’t have been able to deal with the stress or the loss of patients.

It was just as he sat back down that David began waking up a little. It was still a struggle to do anything for him, but at least he was able to do things a little more independently.

‘Poppy?’ Remus called gently and soon the matron came rushing over. They both helped him to sit up to make it easier for him to wake up properly.

‘David, how are you feeling?’ Poppy asked and all he could do was nod in response, she went back to her office to grab him some sort of potion to keep his strength up. It seemed his mind was a little preoccupied and Remus recognised that look anywhere, he sat back in his chair half smiling at David.

‘What?’ It took more energy than David anticipated to say the word. 

‘Cassie on your mind?’ Remus threw one leg over the other and observed David as his brow furrowed slightly. ‘Like looking in a mirror.’ Remus explained.

Poppy came back with something that smelt vaguely like a pepperup potion. ‘Right, here we are, drink this.’ She ordered and David downed it without fuss. Poppy then went about checking his eyes, his temperature, his chest and asking him the routine questions to see if he really was okay. ‘Right another day or two and you’ll be back to normal.’ She said and wandered away again.

‘You alright?’ Remus asked, still watching David. 

‘Fine.’ The young man nodded. Remus decided not to press him and instead picked up the book he had been reading before David woke up. ‘Can we finish it? The application?’ 

Remus observed him for a moment, there was a newfound determination around David, he swapped his book for the application and got comfortable as they went through the remaining questions and requirements. 

‘I couldn’t recall all of your results,’ Remus scribbled in an ‘O’ for Care of Magical Creatures. ‘Herbology and Potions?’

‘Outstanding for everything except Transfiguration, I only got Exceeds Expectations for that.’ David leaned back against his pillow and sighed as Remus finished scribbling in his impressive results.

‘Exceeds Expectations is still an impressive result.’ Remus tried to encourage him. ‘What’s on your mind?’

David didn’t speak for a moment or two and Remus began filling in his recommendation letter to support David’s application. He tried to be fair and truthful, knowing that if he simply said how wonderful David was, it would probably be discarded. 

‘I’ve been thinking about Cassandra,’ he finally said and Remus simply listened, still writing his letter. ‘She didn’t believe me last time when I told her that things would be better. I need to prove it.’

‘How are you going to do that?’ Remus knew that David was talking sense at least.

‘I don’t know yet,’ he confessed. ‘How did you prove the Angie that you were good enough?’

Remus let out a bark-like laugh. ‘Sorry,’ he said, still chuckling. ‘I still haven’t proven it.’ Remus signed his name at the bottom of the application and turned to find where he’d put the enveloped. ‘I have a student, Nathan Haywood, at the beginning of the year, he made a show of asking out his girlfriend, Millie Foster, in one of my classes. It was the last day I saw Angelina before she left and during the spectacle Nathan asked me something similar. I’ll tell you the same thing I told him, hard work, commitment, patience and a sense of humour are the only things I’ve found to work in my favour.’ Remus folded the lid of the envelope and smiled at David. ‘Would you like me to take this to Professor Dumbledore now or later?’

It was a moment before David answered. ‘As soon as possible.’ Remus nodded and stood up to head to Dumbledore’s office. ‘Remus?’ He turned back. ‘Do you think I can do this?’

Remus wasn’t sure if David was talking about the job or something else, but his answer probably wouldn’t have been different. ‘I think if you work for it, you can do it.’ He left David to think on his words and allowed his mind to wander to thoughts of Angelina and whether he really was enough for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm afraid this is the last one until after Christmas, I'm going away and won't be able to work on the next few chapters. 
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone!!


	18. The Descent

I hadn’t felt so cold in months, the village had always been warm with the sun shining bright in the sky, the only signs of anything cool, was the breeze that would occasionally weave in between the ancient buildings. 

My eyes opened and part of me was expecting to see fresh flowers in a vase beside my bed, but all I saw was snow. I’d managed to drag myself to the cave that I had been in prior to finding the village, but been unable to stay conscious long enough to build a fire. My bones ached with the cold, even breathing hurt my chest, I’d been so close to death seconds before I made it to the village and now I was back in the same state. Right up next to it, I could smell the stale, heavy, rotting stench of death’s cloak inviting me into his embrace, but I couldn’t go with him, not yet.

I wasn’t aware of the time of day, but I was aware of the fact that I was starving and without any way of finding food, if I didn’t die from the cold, the lack of food would surely finish me off. I felt my wand slide into my hand and conjure a small fire, at least I had energy enough for that. 

It was taking up too much of my concentration to figure out a way home and I hadn’t forgotten about the Yetis that would likely see the smoke. I tried so hard to think about Remus wrapped around my body, but it had been so long since I felt him, his warmth, that it was taking more energy to try to remember than it was to appreciate the small fire in front of me. 

I let my eyes close for just a few moments, before I felt my wand twisting in my hand. My eyes snapped open and I watched my wand, of it’s own accord, move and point to my bag that began opening, I could see my thick, black, long coat sliding out and moving to cover my freezing body. I was warming up and finally my wand returned to it’s original position. If I was tired before, I was wide awake now, staring blankly at my wand.

‘How are you doing that?’ I whispered. I thought for a moment and came to the conclusion that the brother must have done something. ‘I told you to stop.’ 

‘It wasn’t me.’ The brother coughed and I frowned, not believing him for a single second. If he wanted to survive then he would find a way to do so, even if it meant denying me my wishes to be left alone. He had done it countless times before and not cared at all.

‘If I die, you die.’ I whispered in warning.

‘Angie, I promise it wasn’t me. Your wand is Elder, think what that means.’

I could feel a whip of anger and gripped my wand a little tighter, if Remus were here he’d know what to do. He always knows what to do. 

I wasn’t exactly sure of how long I lay wrapped underneath my long, black coat, but it had only just occurred to me to transform into my animagus. I was always stronger as a wolf and with the thick fur, I’d at least be warm, the question was: did I have the strength to change?

I took a deep breath, feeling my ribcage expand in agony and my lungs sting with the cold air. I pulled my coat on and waved my wand to get my bag onto my back. I was on all fours, dizzy and suddenly feeling like this was the worst idea I’d ever had, but what other option did I have, I needed to get off the mountain. I needed to get back home to Remus.

I took another deep breath and felt myself change, but something felt different. I was still starving and exhausted, but I also felt a little out of sync with my body, like I had found a new gear, one more intent on finding some form of food. 

The mountain looked a little different in my wolf form, somehow a way to the lower region of where I was, was a little clearer, like I was picking out routes that I could more easily navigate. I was grateful that I could at least walk in my animagus, not very fast, but enough to get me to a rocky patch close to another cavern. 

I could feel myself panting heavily, but it was all of my senses that had suddenly changed, my vision was more focussed and my sense of smell was different, I could smell things that I was certain were further away than where I was standing. I could hear tiny movements beneath my paws, the snow shifting ever so slightly and it told me one thing for sure, something was attempting to hunt me.

I moved gingerly towards the cavern allowing my senses to take over momentarily and smelling nothing of note, it was clear. Whatever was hunting me had moved to a position just above the cavern, I didn’t go too far back, but enough that if it decided to enter the cavern, I would see it long before it reached me. 

I lay down to rest for a while and watched the open space in front of me. It was another few moments, just as my eyes began closing, before I heard the snow shifting again. Whatever was out there, there was more than one, I couldn’t risk changing back into human form, I was still stronger as a wolf. I didn’t dare move, I just waited for whatever it was to appear.

It was another moment before I felt a small jolt in my body, it was like the flashing of time passing me by, images of three fully grown Yetis, one after another coming towards me. I could feel my body moving, the pain in my joints, my jaw snapping open and shut, I could taste something coppery and thick, something similar to fur. I could hear bones cracking, unsure if it was my own, growling and wailing until suddenly everything stopped.

I could see something red in my eyes, still tasting the copper but this time it was thicker, more like a steak, raw and tough. I looked down to see the white bone of the Yetis exposed, none of them were moving, but I felt a little stronger than before, enough to curl up in the back of the cave and rest for a while.

 

It was the stench that woke me, I could smell death again, it was unbearable, there was still red in my eyes and I could barely see. Somehow my body was finding a way to navigate it’s way out of the cavern, stepping in something wet and slippery as I did. It was snowing when I got outside and I held my head up to let the snow land on my face, melt and clean my eyes of the redness.

It was another moment of letting the snow clean my fur before I shook it all off and stretched my aching limbs. My ears suddenly stood up, I’d heard something, it was faint and far away, if I’d been in my human form I would have missed it, I listened again and heard the echo bouncing off the mountains, a small scream, human. Just one. 

I could feel my whole body lighting up, I wasn’t strong enough to go and find out if anyone was hurt, I was barely strong enough to move away from the stench coming from the cavern behind me. I couldn’t just ignore someone who needed help, so moving towards where the echo had started seemed like the best idea. 

Every step I took closer to the sound was shaky and unsteady, each rock felt like it would slip out from underneath me, the snow was getting lighter, but the wind was stronger and if I wasn’t careful I might have been knocked off the cliff side. It was also messing with my sense of smell, I could tell that various smells were not starting in the direction they were coming from, but it was impossible to tell where they were originating. 

I felt so weak, my whole body felt tired and working on the bare minimum amount of energy needed to get around. I was suddenly aware of the fact that it would take me a while to actually get to the bottom of the mountain, it took weeks to climb up and find the village, it would likely take days to climb back down and that was only if I could continue to avoid danger. 

The howling of the wind was getting to be a bit much for my now much more sensitive ears and the cold was penetrating my aching body. I needed to find somewhere to rest for a while, just lay down and let my eyes drift close again. It had already been hours of moving, hopefully, lower down the mountain, I wasn’t sure how much further I could go without resting. Luckily, I found another small cave I could sleep in for a few hours.

It seemed to take days for me to get to a recognisable place from my ascent, but I was starving and something was hunting me again. I couldn’t quite remember what had happened to the last Yetis that were hunting me, I didn’t have the energy to think on it for too long. I tried to hurry to the small tunnel that led through a pass in the mountain, each step I took was shakier than the last, if I could just close my eyes for a few minutes.

Quicker than I could think, something sharp yanked on my tail and I could see blood, hearing howling, taste copper again. What was happening to me? Why couldn’t I see what I was doing? Why could I see tufts of pure white fur floating away in the wind? It wasn’t mine that was for sure and suddenly I wasn’t as weak as I had been before. The familiar crunching of bones could be heard and the taste of raw steak, but it went on for a while, the flashing images of red and white were more intense than before.

Soon I was able to move myself to the tunnel and rest, sheltered from the winds and heavy snow. 

 

Each time I moved to a new place, it was the same, I would be suddenly aware of something hunting me, I would see the flash of red, I would rest, I would wake to find my fur covered in drying blood. For weeks it was the same, over and over again and all I could think about was getting myself closer to where the screams were coming from. 

It hit me like a flash, I must have been killing Yetis, defending myself when they caught up to me, but how was I finding the energy to do it?

I’d heard about animals going into survival mode, but I wasn’t really an animal, it was just an animagus, I wanted to believe that so badly, but everything I was experiencing was telling me the opposite. Another positive was that I hadn’t heard the brother speaking to me since I was banished from the village, maybe he couldn’t communicate with me when I was a wolf? It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, but it did raise several questions.

Unfortunately I didn’t have time for questions, I needed to get off the mountain and make sure I was strong enough to change back into human form, I couldn’t stay as a wolf forever. The screaming was getting closer, wherever I was, it was closing in on whoever needed help and I might finally be able to get some help as well. 

I could feel something creeping behind me, but it wasn’t hunting me exactly, it was more just keeping an eye on my movements and I was beginning to wonder why. The Yetis hadn’t stopped coming for me, they came for me in greater numbers, each of them attempting to kill me and any time they got close to getting the upper hand, I would black out and wake to find myself in amidst a blood bath. 

It didn’t even matter how cold I was anymore, all I knew was that I needed to get off the mountain and somewhere safe. There was a clearing, close to another much larger cave and it looked as if something could have been living there, something I didn’t want to run into. I looked for a way around and a small route over the cave appeared before me. I leapt up onto the rocks above me, slipping and sliding on the ice as I managed to find a way up and over. 

A penetrating scream pierced my ears, I looked down to see a young woman curled in the middle of the clearing, it was hard to see what was happening clearly, but she was holding something close to her chest. A few Yetis had surrounded her and were almost taunting her. Playing with their food before they ate it.

I could feel my body being triggered by the much more innocent scream that came from the woman’s chest, she was carrying a baby. I leapt from the rocks into the middle of the clearing and I swear my throat bled with the growl that erupted from my mouth. The Yetis stepped back momentarily and I was never as clear minded since leaving the village. 

I felt my body go into overdrive, all I knew was that the woman and her child needed to remain safe. I could feel my teeth tearing through the tough skin of Yeti that came towards me, some of their hands came clubbing down against my rib cage and in fact one had wrapped its arms around me and attempted to crush my entire torso, but I’d somehow managed to writhe enough to make it trip and let go. 

There was maybe just over a dozen Yetis either fatally wounded or dead surrounding myself and the young woman. She was terrified and I imagined staring at a fully-grown wolf wasn’t settling her as much as I wanted it to. I stepped backwards and felt my body grow exhausted again, we were in the middle of a Yeti nest and couldn’t stay for long, more may have been on the way.

We watched each other for a moment, I tried so hard to make her see that I wasn’t trying to hurt her. I let myself lie on the ground, just trying to get my breath back, I could feel my ribs were at least bruised if not broken in a few places. I couldn’t afford those kinds of injuries, not when I was so weak anyway. I could smell something similar to Jasmine, the woman had begun slowly approaching me, her baby was still crying, they both looked so small. 

She placed her hand gently against my face and it felt so good to have a human hand against my skin, how had I forgotten what that felt like? She began speaking in a language I didn’t recognise, but from what I could tell she was thanking me. It may well have been the last thing I ever heard anyone say, my eyes were closing and I was so exhausted, in increasing pain and I just couldn’t see the point in staying awake anymore.

 

I opened my eyes, the searing pain in my ribs hadn’t gotten any better, something was leaning against them. A young woman who smelled like Jasmine, snuggling into my fur to keep warm, she was talking in a hushed tone to her baby, but that wasn’t the sound that had my eyes opening. The crunching sound of the snow above us.

I needed to stand up and get a better look, it startled her and naturally her baby began making more noise than was appreciated. There was only one way we were getting out of the Yeti nest.

I lowered my body indicating that she needed to climb onto my back, she hesitated far too long and I could smell the stench of a particularly nasty Yeti. I could fight anymore, I needed to rest, but I couldn’t leave her alone in danger. She eventually climbed onto my back and I felt the pain in my ribs flare as she dug her hands into my fur, holding on for dear life as I darted as fast as I could out of the nest. I didn’t stop, bounding off rocks and trying to find a safe place to rest for a while.

I felt the woman trying to steer me towards a particular path, I couldn’t see where it went, but she was keen for me to follow her directions, I did so and found that there was a small camp site hidden away. Whether it was hers or not wasn’t clear, but she knew enough of her way around that she definitely knew who the camp belonged to. 

My body was beginning to fail me, the adrenaline wearing off and the tiredness kicking in again. I lay down close to the simmering camp fire and let my eyes close for a while. I was sure I woke at one point, feeling someone put something warm against my rib cage, but I had no energy to do anything about it. I was exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I've been away so long! But hopefully it was worth the wait, I've got the next set of chapters lined up and ready to go out as soon as I've edited and made sure I'm happy with what I'm putting out to you guys.
> 
> I hope you've all had a wonderful start to the New Year and are all working towards your next set of goals.
> 
> Love Jadders92 xx


	19. Survival of the Fittest

It had been months, I was sure of it, the woman I’d saved had tried to fix my bruised ribs, but had soon disappeared through a very narrow tunnel, presumably leading to some form of settlement and I couldn’t fit through the gap to go after her. I was still too weak to change back into my human form and now my animagus was weakening as well. 

I’d never felt so alone, the brother couldn’t seem to talk to me in this form and I hadn’t been able to send any letters to Remus. I missed him so much, I missed his voice more than anything, I just wanted to listen to him tell me that everything would be okay again, all I had to do was get home.

I knew I was being hunted more viciously than before, since destroying the nest of Yetis, something much bigger was coming for me and the further down the mountain I went, the closer it got. It was so easy to get lost in the mountain, paths and tunnels that seemingly led nowhere. I couldn’t believe I thought my sight was becoming clearer, couldn’t believe that somehow I was finding a way home in my animagus form. All it was, was the wolf in me searching for food and I barely found enough to survive on. I was no wolf, I was hardly a survivor.

 

After another few days of clearing my path of the occasional roaming Yeti, I finally saw what I had been looking for all this time. A path towards the settlement at the bottom of the mountain. I was finally going to be free of the cold and snow that covered Mount Mansalu. I was finally going home.

I tried hard to pick up the pace, but my legs could only go so fast and something looked off about the village. Smoke was coming out of the houses, but I couldn’t see any people, the sun was just coming up so it wasn’t such a shock, but surely there would be a few people here and there. 

There was a low grumble that came from somewhere in the village and I feared the worst. Something caught my eye from the side of the village, two people on brooms leaving at some pace, they must have been heading towards another village, or a town… or something with people that could help me. I stepped closer to where the smoke was coming from, it was the same sound I’d been hearing for the last couple of months, the thing that had been hunting me had found its way to the village and looked to have decimated the people there. 

I felt my stomach twist in guilt, if I hadn’t caused such a disruption on the mountain, this might not have happened. I was far too weak to go up against anything bigger than the Yetis that I had been fighting, but I was at least strong enough to follow the two people on brooms towards wherever they were going. 

I did well to keep up, the only thing keeping my aching joints going was the fact that I may have found a way back to Remus. I needed him so badly. 

 

Darren looked worriedly at his father, he could see his grey hair becoming thicker over the last few months. Everything had gone downhill since Angie disappeared, Darren was having more and more blackouts and his father had been prone to fits of rage, something that not even his mother could stop. 

Darren knew how dangerous his father could be when it came to his children and nothing would have stopped him coming to Tibet to find her. No one had heard anything for eight months, people were giving up hope, Remus was a mess, losing weight and barely holding himself together. He wasn’t exactly convinced she was still alive and Darren was on a similar line of thinking, he hadn’t received a patronus in eight months, no one had heard anything, there were no sightings, no whispers, nothing that indicated she was still alive. Darren’s sister was gone and his father was driving himself mad searching for someone who no longer existed. 

‘The Yetis have torn up most of the village,’ George said to the local Auror. ‘There may be a few survivors, but we can’t get to them.’ He was looking more and more tattered as the days went on, he hadn’t shaved in weeks and like Remus was losing weight. 

The old Tibetan Auror nodded. ‘We knew the Yetis were getting braver,’ he said, looking out of the office building towards the smoke rising from the village. ‘Something happened a year and a half ago, something big enough to scare off Yetis.’ Darren felt a twinge of guilt, Angie arrived in this place around the time the Yetis began moving, what if she had done something? ‘Eighteen months later a man arrives, desperate and keen to help, though his intentions were never what they seemed.’ The Auror squared up to George who would not take kindly to the accusation. ‘Who are you looking for? And why should I help you? It seems you know something about this that you have not yet made known.’

Darren saw the flash in his father’s eye and he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop him if he attacked the Auror. Luckily, he didn’t have to. It was a painful and vicious howling that came from much closer than anyone would have liked. George and Darren were the first out the door, grabbing their brooms, Darren being the better flyer, stood up on his broom and risked going faster towards the sound. 

An epic scream erupted and it only had George catching up to his son. Suddenly the Lockwoods came to a halt, both frozen to the spot, unable to comprehend what it was they were seeing. A wolf, bigger than any they had ever seen before, much bigger than Angie’s animagus was fighting with a grey Yeti that stood over fifteen feet tall, it was only just bigger than the wolf, who was doing well considering its slim figure. 

‘Dad, look!’ Darren suddenly yelled and pointed to the hind leg of the wolf, there was a scar in the shape of a bite, specifically a lionfish bite. ‘Angie.’

The sound was distraction enough that the wolf turned, giving the Yeti a split second window to bring a clubbing fist down onto the already wounded, fragile and fractured torso of the wolf. The wail was unbearable. George whipped his wand out and began firing spells at the Yeti, giving the wolf every chance to get up and continue to fight. 

Another sound caught Darren’s attention, that of a very scared young woman, holding a child no older than a year. He flew straight over to them, seeing a small area away from the fighting where he could make sure they were safe.

‘Go! Run!’ Darren yelled and the woman began limping some of the way back towards the town where the Aurors were. He turned back to see the wolf and his father fighting with the Yeti, they had managed to knock it down, enough for the wolf to clamp down on its shoulder and shake its head so violently, Darren heard the snapping of the Yeti’s neck.

The wolf let go and panted, falling a little with exhaustion. Suddenly her ears pricked up and turned to look past Darren. She growled and stood up, suddenly sprinting past where Darren was watching the fighting. 

‘Darren!’ His father yelled and began chasing Angie who was chasing a small pack of Yetis who were going after the woman Darren had told to run. ‘We have to help her, she isn’t herself and she won’t stop until that woman is safe!’ 

Darren didn’t have time to question his father, he swung his leg over his broomstick and sped after Angie. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, his sister in her much larger animagus form, chasing Yetis without a second thought, catching them and killing them before they hurt anyone. 

George managed to separate one of the three Yetis and began fighting it, keeping his distance as much as he could. Darren tried to do the same with the other Yeti while Angie sprinted harder than ever towards the one closing in on the woman. 

Darren didn’t see what happened with Angie, in fact he didn’t see much of anything, he blacked out and when he woke it was to find Angie leaping over him and taking out the Yeti he was trying to fight off. Her fur was covered in blood, where is used to be pure white, it was now red and sticky, she was panting hard and allowed her body collapse in front of him, she was so exhausted. 

George was comforting the woman and her baby in amongst the dead beasts surrounding them. The smell was making Darren feel sick.

‘Darren, get Angie to change back,’ he panted, trying to get the woman to get onto his broom. ‘You’ll have to carry her back to the office and we can treat her there.’

Darren tried to do as he was asked, but Angie was making things difficult, she wasn’t exactly unconscious, but she was entirely out of it. Her head was searching around for something, something just out of sight.

‘Angie, Angie, it’s me, it’s Darren,’ he said, attempting to get her attention. ‘Angie, you have to change back so we can go home.’

She completely ignored him and limped over to where the woman was arguing in some language with his father. She nearly knocked both of them over, lowering her body next to the woman who hesitated, still in tears, but eventually climbed onto Angie’s back. Angie seemed to take a moment to gather her surroundings, before it was apparent she was waiting for Darren and his father to lead the way back to the town.

It was a strange situation Darren found himself in, flying beside a giant wolf, guiding her back to safety with a woman trying to comfort her child. Darren couldn’t imagine his sister to be any other person, to give herself, her whole body and mind in order to save a single life and then to give whatever she had left to make sure they returned to safety. He loved her like no one else and no one would ever make him feel any different.

They were barely a mile out went finally Angie couldn’t go any further, she stopped, her legs could no longer hold the weight of her light body and slowly she fell to the floor, depleted. 

George hopped off his broom and knelt beside her, carefully running his hand over the clotted fur around her head, she was out cold. Darren tried to be as kind as possible to the woman, who was understandably scared for her child’s life. She smelled strangely of Jasmine.

The Aurors were coming in full force to where the Lockwoods were and Darren suddenly feared for his sister’s life more than ever. 

‘Dad.’ He got his father’s attention, who stood up, ready to take on the entire ministry if that was what he had to do. 

‘Darren, stay with Angie.’ George’s voice was low and full of warning. Darren did as he was told and tried to get Angie to wake up and change back. 

‘Lockwood,’ the old Tibetan Auror jumped off his broom, he was surprisingly spritely for someone of his age and reminded Darren a lot of Dumbledore. ‘What’s going on?’

‘This is my daughter.’

Darren’s head snapped up, what was he thinking? He had no way to prove it if the Aurors asked him to prove it.

‘She is sick and is unable to change back currently, I ask that you allow me time to assess why that is?’ George was being incredibly diplomatic, calm under pressure in a way Darren was unaware his father could be. 

‘You want to revive a dead wolf?’

‘She is an animagus,’ there was the venom. ‘She is sick. I would have thought you’d be more grateful considering she saved one of your people, potentially at the cost of her own life if you do not allow me to help her.’

The Auror took a moment to think about what he had been told and turned to the young woman, who was still crying, holding her wailing child. Darren listened to their conversation and could only conclude that she was retelling some epic tale.

‘She says this wolf came to her in the middle of a nest,’ the Auror retold and everyone frowned. ‘That she prayed for someone to save her and her baby and the gods sent her a wolf to protect her. Tell me, how could a person walk into a nest of Yetis and not only walk out alive, but also walk away seemingly unscathed?’

‘Angie is exceptionally powerful,’ George said and Darren noticed at that very second, Angie’s crystal blue eyes snapped open. ‘She is more than capable of holding her own and has the intelligence enough to-

‘Dad.’ Darren interrupted, Angie had begun to get up, groggy and confused. Every Auror pulled their wands out and George stepped in before anyone could do anything about it.

‘Angie,’ he whispered, placing his hand against her face. Her ocean blue eyes met his and it only took a moment for her to recognise her father. ‘We’ll get you home, back to Remus, don’t you worry.’ Darren suddenly noticed that she was crying, a few tears had already escaped and were running down her face, but the mention of Remus was what had the giant wolf collapsing into her father, who was struggling against her. ‘We’ll get you home, safe and sound, you just need to change back. I know it’s hard and I know you feel like you can’t, but I will not let you die without seeing Remus. Remember your promise Angie. Remember your courage.’ It took her another few moments, but eventually Angie morphed back into her human form, collapsing into her father’s arms. 

She was so thin, her cheeks gaunt and every bone looked like it was sticking out uncomfortably, barely keeping her muscles together, the paper thin skin stretching over each joint, it looked like it could tear any second. Finally the Aurors believed them and quickly sent for a stretcher to Angie back. Darren took her rucksack and broom and wondered why she didn’t just use her broom to get home. Why did she have to change into her wolf form?

 

It was a few days before there was any real sign of Angie waking up, George had done everything he could, with the help of the local Healers, but they were beginning to suspect that Angie was different. As soon as she was strong enough to travel, he was taking her to Hogwarts, Darren didn’t know and George wouldn’t tell him to avoid the risk of anyone over hearing him. 

George didn’t have the perspective just yet to appreciate the fact that his daughter was alive, he was more concerned with the fact that she had somehow managed to slaughter an entire nest of Yetis and had the strength enough to save the young mother and her child, both of whom were now safely in a neighbouring village.

The pack of Yetis that had invaded the village at the base of the mountain had retreated back into the mountain, since the alpha had been killed by Angie, they had no real reason to stay. 

George had warned Darren about sending letters to anyone concerning Angie, he would send one to Adrianna and let her know they were returning home in the coming days.

‘Mum would want to know that Angie is alive,’ Darren argued with his now clean shaved father, both of them keeping their voices low in the Tibetan hospital. ‘We can’t keep a secret like this from her, or Remus for that matter.’

‘Darren,’ George put his hand up, stopping his son from speaking anymore. ‘For the last eight months we have searched for Angie and now out of the blue we are going home. What conclusion do you think your mother is going to draw?’ 

Darren thought about it for a moment. ‘That we found something.’

George nodded slowly. ‘Your mother knows fine well that I would never give up the search for either of my children, regardless of the chances of survival; I didn’t tell her why we were coming home, the only conclusion she could reach is that we found Angie, but the news will not be made public just yet.’

‘And mum will know that?’

It was the first smile in a long time from any of the Lockwoods. George pulled his son into his chest and held him tight. ‘Your mother and I have a very clear understanding of each other, she will know exactly what is happening.’

George felt Darren return the embrace and for a moment they just held each other. Family was everything and George prayed his son understood exactly what that meant. 

Angie was making progress, her strength was returning, she was in a state of unrest, not quite asleep, but definitely not able to wake up properly just yet. There was something different about her, not just her physical state, but something else. George could feel something radiating from her, a new type of power, something that was just waiting to burst out. 

He was getting anxious about the Healers asking questions, ones he couldn’t provide answers for, he needed to get his family out of Tibet. He needed to get his daughter home.

Her physical form was actually more muscular than she had ever been, Angie had always been fit the same as Darren, but now she seemed to be made from muscle and not much else. She had been starving on the mountain, that much was clear, so how had she managed to survive so long in the state she was in? George did everything in his power to restore enough of her strength to get her back home.

He couldn’t risk it any longer, after two more days of keeping her body warm and strong by magical means, they needed to wake her up and leave. The Aurors weren’t happy, but had no authority to stop them once George pulled his Healer card. 

They were going home, Angie was only just conscious and Darren insisted on carrying her to the Portkey so that she didn’t have to use any energy she didn’t have. It would be night when they got to the castle, no one would be around and as Dumbledore had arranged, they could safely get Angie into a bed to rest for the remainder of the night.

George felt a twinge of guilt in not telling Remus just yet, but he was at the Potter’s that night, not returning until the morning, there was nothing to be done without causing panic. Angie was safe, she was returning to full strength quicker than she had ever done and Adrianna was on her way to the castle. 

‘Angie,’ she breathed, arriving at the door of the hospital wing in the early hours of the morning. ‘Oh my baby girl!’ Adrianna cried hot tears that dropped onto her daughter’s face. She held her fragile body and stroked through her soft hair, making Angie stir a little. ‘She’s awake?’

‘Not quite.’ George was exhausted as he approached the bed. ‘But she is healing at an extraordinary rate.’ He gave Adrianna a moment or two to be with her daughter before updating her on what he had done over the last eight months. He held her as she cried and helped her into another bed to rest when she fell asleep, it was only then that George really took in his surroundings.

Almost every bed in the hospital wing was empty except for one, a dark haired boy who was fast asleep near Poppy’s office. George moved a little to see it was Nathan, the intern who had been working part time at St Mungo’s, he was a good student and had a lot of potential to become one of the very best Healers, one day even taking Jack Rathborne’s place as a specialist in Lycanthropy. 

George was far from okay, but his daughter was back safe and sound and for now, that was enough.


	20. When We Meet Again

Nathan’s head was pounding, his eyes only just opening of their own accord, everything felt like an effort. He had managed to make it through the entire year without being petrified by Slytherin’s monster, but of course, he would be the only one to get both food poisoning and hit with a jinx that made boils break out on his face, immediately following it.

Millie, his fiancé just laughed and took him to the hospital wing, he didn’t care that she was laughing at his expense, but the fact that she was laughing at all helped him see the funny side at least. She would be coming down in the morning to pick him up so that they could spend the day together.

Nathan did as he was told, he drank a few potions and ate his breakfast just watching the rest of the hospital wing go about its business. 

‘Mr Lockwood?’ He said, suddenly spotting the older Healer enter the wing. ‘What are you doing here?’ The answer to the question suddenly dawned on Nathan and his heart dropped. 

‘Nathan,’ George smiled. ‘How are you? Feeling better?’

Nathan swallowed unsure of what to say, there were very few reasons why George would be at Hogwarts since the disappearance of his daughter. 

‘Erm, yeah, yeah, much better.’ Nathan nodded, suddenly feeling very nervous.

‘Good, I’ve heard you’ve been doing well on your internship.’ 

‘I think so, I mean, I’ve been trying to pick up on what I can.’ Nathan tried to behave normally, but he could see George wasn’t buying it. 

‘Well, that’s good. I look forward to working with you.’ George nodded and headed off towards a bed that was sectioned off, but the glimpse of blonde hair was unmistakable. Angelina Lockwood had come home. 

Nathan wondered where Lupin was, he’d been a mess over the last few months and Nathan had heard him on more than one occasion, crying in his office. It only lasted a few seconds at a time, but he felt for his teacher. 

When he thought about it, Nathan hadn’t seen Lupin over the last day or two, he was presumably away on business as he had been on and off for the last year. It was an irritation to most of the students as it meant Gilderoy Lockhart took over some of his classes and only ever talked about himself, they didn’t learn anything useful. 

Millie wandered into the hospital, smiling her bright smile as she hopped over to Nathan. He saw the glint of the ring he’d given her only a few weeks before and it warmed his heart.

‘Hey,’ Millie kissed his cheek and sat in the chair next to him. ‘You feeling-‘

‘Is Professor Lupin here?’ Nathan whispered, interrupting her. 

‘Erm, no, I haven’t seen him.’ Millie frowned. ‘Why?’

Nathan didn’t risk being overheard, he barely made a noise, mouthing that Angelina was in the bed behind the curtain. 

‘Are you sure?’ Millie’s eyes were wide, neither of them could quite believe it. Nathan nodded. ‘Does he know?’

‘He’d be here if he knew.’ Nathan whispered, looking over to the curtain that was entirely still. 

‘We all thought she was dead.’

‘He didn’t.’ Nathan cut in. ‘Lupin has never given up hope that she was out there, he told me he thought she was just struggling to find her way home. I think he would have waited for years if he had to.’

‘Why didn’t he go after her?’

‘His condition. He wouldn’t adjust quick enough to the new cycle and what if she came home while he was away?’ Nathan reasoned. He watched Millie swallow and her eyes began watering.

‘What do we do?’ She asked.

‘We can’t do anything until he gets back to the castle and I can’t leave until Pomfrey lets me.’ 

‘Okay,’ Millie nodded. ‘He should be back for his tutoring session this afternoon, do you want me to keep an eye out until you get out of here?’

‘Please,’ Nathan nodded, he knew it was the right thing to do. Lupin shouldn’t be kept waiting. ‘I shouldn’t be much longer, but he should be told as soon as possible.’ 

 

Millie quickly kissed Nathan and left to keep an eye out for Lupin, she couldn’t believe that Angelina was back, Lupin had lost weight and had been incredibly miserable over the last year without her and it was heart breaking to see. Nathan had told Millie about his condition, it was an accident, but she didn’t really care, she always suspected Lupin wasn’t quite what he seemed, she just didn’t expect it to be lycanthropy. 

Millie went straight to the Dark Arts classroom to check in case Lupin came back early, but there was no sign of that. The door was locked, same as it was for the last couple of days while Professor Lupin was away. 

She spun around and headed for the entrance to the school, but again there was no one in sight. Millie was in two minds about whether to wait at the entrance or at the Dark Arts classroom, but the sight of Professor Wales decided that for her. He had been one of her friends at in school, it was widely known that he and Professor Lupin had had an argument over whether she was alive or not. Professor Wales believed her to be dead and unless significant evidence was presented to alter his thinking, he wouldn’t hear otherwise. 

‘Professor?’ Millie raced down to Hagrid’s hut where Hagrid and Wales were talking.

‘Millie?’ The burly and young professor frowned. ‘Are you alright?’

‘Professor, I have news for you,’ Millie panted. ‘It’s Angelina Lockwood. She’s alive.’

It was at that moment he shut down, completely ignoring Millie and getting back to work in gathering up food for the Thestrals. Hagrid stayed silent, he didn’t want to add any more hurt to the situation. 

‘Professor, I know she’s your friend-‘

‘Was… she was my friend.’ He said and looked at Millie with a hint of fury. ‘She died in Tibet and anyone who says otherwise is just kidding themselves.’ 

‘Professor, she is in the hospital wing, her father is here as well.’

‘George Lockwood went looking for her eight months ago!’ He snapped. ‘No one has heard anything from him since, he’s probably dead as well.’

‘David.’ Hagrid tried to reason. ‘Why would Millie say it if it wasn’t true?’

Professor Wales said nothing, instead he turned away and carried on. 

‘Professor Lupin should be coming back to the castle soon,’ Millie tried a different approach. ‘He should know that she’s alive. I saw you first and thought it was only right that you know as well. I’m sorry if I upset you, but if she wakes up, I’m sure she’d like to see you as well as Professor Lupin.’ 

Professor Wales ignored Millie and she felt bad for him, he was already in a lot of pain and it can’t have been easy. Millie gave Hagrid a half smile in thanks for helping her try to convince him Angelina was alive. She left and headed back to the hospital wing to tell Nathan what had happened.

‘The poor guy,’ Nathan sighed. ‘It can’t be easy to think you’ve lost your best friend, he’s spent months trying to move on from it.’

‘Yeah, I suppose you’re right.’ Millie was feeling tired from all the running around, it was all overwhelming to think that the love of Lupin’s life was asleep in the bed just across from her and Nathan and Lupin never even knew.

‘Alright, Haywood.’ Pomfrey wandered over to Nathan’s bed and did her usual checks. ‘You look good to me, any problems, you come straight back.’

‘Madame Pomfrey,’ Millie suddenly piped up in the middle of her checks. ‘Why is Mr Lockwood here if Angie’s away?’

Pomfrey stopped everything and glared at Millie. It took her a moment to think of an excuse. ‘George Lockwood is an exceptional Healer as you well know, he often makes routine visits to Hogwarts.’ It was so formal and rehearsed and neither Nathan nor Millie believed her for a single second. 

Pomfrey left Nathan’s bedside and walked quickly over to George Lockwood, whispering quickly to him, he turned to look at them both and sighed, nodding to Pomfrey.

‘We need to tell Lupin, now.’ Nathan hurried himself and Millie out of the hospital wing. ‘He should be about to start his tutoring session.’ He said and together they ran towards the Dark Arts classroom. 

 

Remus was exhausted, his body failed him more and more every day that he went without Angelina. He was trying so hard to appear his cheery self and some days he even managed a genuine smile, other days he struggled to hide his pain from anyone. This was a day where his smile escaped him. No matter how comforting it had been to spend the evening with Lily and James, nothing quite felt right anymore.

‘Right,’ he said and cleared his throat, trying to look interested. ‘Duelling. What spells would you all like to practise today? Bear in mind, the year is at an end, so let’s keep it light.’

His students, ranging from fifth years to seventh, all shouted out a variety of spells and Remus did his best to write a few of them down. He barely noticed his female admirers anymore, but they all noticed his decline in mood and they all thought they could be the one to help him. Only one person could put his life right.

‘Okay, we’ll start simple and work our way up.’ It was days like this one, where he could throw himself into work, that always seemed to distract him enough that he could ignore how his life had fallen apart over the last two years. ‘Stunning is an essential part of duelling, since you’ve all mastered disarming, we’ll not practise that one today, but I will be available all week if you feel you need a boost. As always, my door is open.’ Remus curled his hand and brought forth a training dummy. ‘Right, form a line and we’ll get started.’

Remus demonstrated his stunner as an example and guided the students individually through performing it as well. He corrected their stance and tried to give them the confidence to perform and perform well. He hated that his own stunner was much weaker these days, he just couldn’t find the motivation within himself to want to perform much magic beyond the essentials.

‘Professor!’ Someone yelled from the door, the noise startled the entire room, luckily no one was sending off any spells or behind the door as it slammed open.

Remus turned to see Nathan and Millie panting at his door, his heart began calming down a little.

‘Nathan?’

‘Professor, you have to come to the hospital wing-‘

‘I’m in the middle of teaching, Nathan.’ Remus was annoyed at the interruption, Erin had become very accustomed to dealing with any injuries on her own, they agreed that Remus only visit on her request so as to avoid any perception of favouritism. 

‘It’s Angelina. She’s back.’ Millie snapped, both of them still panting. 

 

Nathan had never seen Lupin freeze before, never in all his seven years had he ever seen the usually calm and quietly cheerful professor stop entirely at the mention of a name. He could only imagine what was going through his head, the months of not hearing from Angelina, not knowing if she was dead or alive, but desperately trying to keep the faith anyway. 

A few of the students were looking at each other, no idea of who Angelina Lockwood was or just what she meant to Lupin. He blinked and suddenly found his legs, sprinting out of the classroom at a pace no one knew he could move at.

Nathan grabbed Millie’s hand and went chasing after him all the way to the hospital wing, he’d never seen Lupin show such athleticism before. He’d stopped suddenly just inside the door and everything looked like it had gone into slow motion. Nathan could hear the sound of a few other students arriving behind him, curious about why their Dark Arts professor had sprinted away without a word.

Angelina was awake, only just, but awake enough to look at Lupin through her sunken and bloodshot blue eyes. Her whole body looked like it had been starved of everything, like she had barely been surviving over the last two years. George had managed to get her to sit up and energised enough to see Lupin, possibly even talk to him for a while. He helped her off the bed and onto her feet and at the very same moment Lupin strode forward and wrapped his arms around her fragile body.

Everyone could see him crying and holding her tight to him, afraid to let go, never wanting to. Angelina allowed him to lift her a little off the floor, she couldn’t hold her tears back either, both of them letting out everything that had kept them apart for so long.

 

‘Angelina.’ Remus cried, his body shook so violently. 

‘Remus, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’ Her voice was so broken, hardly above a whisper just next to his ear. He could feel her weakened fingers clinging onto him, but he was never letting go again.

‘No, no, no.’ Remus pulled back a little and kissed every part of her face, he didn’t care that she had been crying, didn’t care that she could hardly kiss him back, he could feel the want and that was enough. ‘You don’t need to be sorry, you never need to be sorry.’ Remus kissed her cracked lips, those lips he’d missed and craved and believed he’d never have the chance to kiss again, those lips that whispered his name and made him feel like a deserving man. 

Angelina placed her shaking hands on his cheeks, Remus could see she was losing the battle with sleep again. ‘I love you, Remus.’ She said and he felt his heart stop. ‘I should have said it every day and I’m sorry I didn’t.’ Remus kissed her again, just trying to feel alive again, just trying to feel her again. ‘And I’m sorry I took so long to come home.’ She was full on crying now and Remus couldn’t allow her.

‘No,’ he whispered. ‘No, you came home and that’s all I ever asked.’ Remus suddenly realised his own tears were getting the better of him and his voice was cracking as well. ‘I’ll always wait for you, no matter how long it takes, I will always wait for you, Angelina... only ever you.’ 

Remus could see how hard she fought to come home, everything about her thin frame screamed pain, he couldn’t imagine what she had done to survive, just to get home to him, but she was here and he felt like he wasn’t dying anymore, and that was enough.

Remus wrapped his arms around her body again, stroking her frail hair and holding her delicate frame so that it fit with his almost perfectly. He could feel her growing weaker in his hands and suddenly he panicked. ‘No, no, please just stay awake a little longer, just one more moment.’ He pulled back to see her deep blue eyes penetrating his. She was back and she was safe.

Angelina’s head rocked into his shoulder as she fell asleep again, she needed to rest. Remus didn’t hesitate, he slipped his arms underneath her worryingly light body, picked her up and placed her carefully back into bed. 

George pulled the sheets up so that she was kept warm. ‘You might want to address your audience.’ He said and Remus whipped his head around to see around a dozen of his students watching him. Millie was failing in holding her tears back and Nathan wasn’t much better. ‘I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner.’

‘I don’t care.’ Remus shook his head and looked down at Angelina’s sleeping figure. ‘She’s home, that’s what matters.’ 

George nodded. ‘She needed to be awake, she needed to see what had happened in her absence, if she hadn’t, she might not have understood just how important she is to those who love her the most.’ Remus looked up at the older Healer and frowned. ‘Loving a Lockwood is never an easy task, just ask my wife.’ He smiled kindly at Remus, who just nodded and took a breath, wiping away the tears that had run down his face. 

Remus didn’t want to leave her bedside, he never wanted to be away from her ever again, she loved him, but if he didn’t thank Nathan and Millie for telling him and sent the students away, Poppy would, and they wouldn’t be grateful for it. Remus took another breath to compose himself and went over to the students. 

‘Thank you for letting me know,’ he said, but already could feel the tears coming back. ‘She’ll be okay.’ 

To everyone’s surprise, Millie wrapped her arms around his waist and cried. ‘I’m glad you’re both okay again.’ She said and Remus decided to pity her, hugging her back. 

‘Okay, everyone,’ Nathan announced. ‘Show’s over. Let’s leave them be.’ It was suddenly apparent that all of them understood what they had just seen and Remus was grateful for it. 

Millie pulled away, wiping her tears from her face and Remus looked at her to make sure she was okay. ‘I’m sorry, Professor.’ She said and Remus half smiled, shaking his head. ‘Will you tell Professor Wales? He wouldn’t listen when I told him.’

Remus suddenly remembered the hard time David had had over the past two years without Angelina. ‘I will and I’m sure he’ll be glad to know you had his best interests at heart.’ Remus assured her. ‘You should both head off. Take a wander near the lake, you’ll not be here much longer to enjoy it.’ Remus suggested. ‘And congratulations on your engagement, I apologise for not saying it sooner.’

‘We understand.’ Nathan said, taking Millie by the hand and helping her calm down a little. They both wandered away without another word and Remus went straight back to Angelina, she looked so peaceful and so incredibly fragile. 

‘Adrianna will be back with Darren later on,’ George came back with a bowl filled with some liquid, he was more exhausted than Remus ever remembered seeing him. ‘We’ll be taking her home to rest tomorrow morning.’

Remus understood that taking her to St Mungo’s after everything that happened with the minister might not have been the best option, he was still looking for her and they were now certain it was for less than friendly intentions. George was still shaking, when was the last time he got a good night’s sleep? He took the cloth and dipped it into the bowl, carefully running it over her arms and allowing her skin to absorb the potion, but he was struggling.

‘Let me.’ Remus said and George just looked at him. ‘You went all the way to Tibet for her, let me do this for both of you. I’ll wake you when I’m done.’ 

It seemed to take him a while to really figure out what Remus was offering, but soon sighed and handed him the cloth that was warm and comforting to touch.

‘I know you would have gone if you could.’ George said, climbing onto the bed next to Angelina’s, his eyes closed instantly and Remus just stared down at both Lockwoods. 

He couldn’t bear the thought that Angelina had suffered in her time away, but then they both knew it wouldn’t exactly be without risk. Remus lifted her hand and for a moment he just took in how amazing it felt to feel her skin on his again. He couldn’t find the energy to stop any tears escaping his face, so he just went about dipping the cloth into the bowl and washing every part of her skin. She loved him, she went to untold lengths just to come home to him and tell him that.

Angelina’s body was covered in bruises, her skin was pale and paper thin, her ribs looked deformed and in need of desperate repair and Remus couldn’t stand looking at them and thinking on what could have possibly done it to her. Why couldn’t she have told him where she was? Let him know she was okay and she was coming home. Whatever the reason, Remus wondered if it really mattered or if he did in fact, want to know. Angelina was home and he was no longer dying.


	21. It's Not Over

‘I’m afraid we have no choice, Anna.’ Kingsley Shacklebolt along with six other Aurors were at the Lockwood house, he really didn’t want to be, he’d much rather be in the middle of a pack of werewolves, but he was asked specifically to carry out this task. ‘The minister has sent me and you know I can’t disobey him directly.’ 

‘Then tell him he isn’t here.’ Anna yelled. ‘You won’t take my son!’

‘Anna, we know he’s here.’ Kingsley tried to keep the situation calm. ‘The minister knows he’s here and he knows George has come back. He isn’t stupid, he will know why and he will want to see Angie as soon as possible. Don’t make us treat you like every other criminal.’

‘Then don’t treat my son like one!’ Anna’s voice filled with venom and the slight twitch towards her wand had everyone pulling there’s out.

‘Everyone calm down!’ Kingsley boomed. ‘There is no need for violence here.’

‘Mum.’ Darren appeared at the bottom of the stairs, he had been crying, that much was obvious.

‘Darren, no.’

‘It’s okay,’ he said, comforting his mother. ‘I’ll be okay, I’ll be alright. Take care of Clara for me, she’s been stressed lately and the second Angie wakes up… tell her not to let anything stop her from coming for me. I know she won’t anyway and the minister will get the shock of his life, the day he tried to cross my sister.’ 

Anna began crying and wrapped her arms around her strong son. 

‘I’ll be okay,’ he said into her hair. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’

‘Come on, Darren.’ Kingsley said, calmly. ‘We’ll make this a smooth as we can.’ 

Darren pulled back and kissed his mother’s head. ‘I love you.’ He whispered and took a breath, apparating with the Aurors to the ministry. Anna couldn’t help but break down in tears, her son was gone and her daughter was closer to death than she had ever been.

 

Remus had managed to convince David to go to the hospital wing to see Angelina, breaking the second he saw her. He held her hand and cried, apologising over and over again for thinking she died, for thinking there was a chance she wouldn’t make it out alive. Remus allowed him the room to absorb everything, he really felt for David and hated the argument they’d had over Angelina. 

Remus could see George beginning to get agitated and frowned at him in questioning.

‘Adrianna should have been here by now.’ He said and Remus checked his watch. It was getting late and Anna should have arrived by the afternoon, he didn’t even notice how much time had passed since arriving at the hospital wing. 

‘Caught at work?’ Remus suggested.

‘No, she had the day off,’ George shook his head, glancing towards the doors. ‘She would have let me know if she was called in.’ 

George really didn’t want to leave Angelina, but Remus promised he wouldn’t leave her side and Dumbledore was wandering around to make sure the castle was secure, nothing would happen while they were there. 

Remus couldn’t deny, he was a little worried about Anna, he had seen her regularly since George and Darren went to Tibet, knowing that she had very few other people to look after her while they were away. It had gotten to be too much for Remus to handle in the end and Lily soon took over, she just looked too much like Angelina and it killed Remus to look at her in the end. He hated that he felt that way, but he wasn’t sure what else to do.

Angelina needed him and he needed to be with her, to protect her while no one else was around to do so. If the minister found out where she was, Remus wouldn’t know what would happen to the Lockwoods. 

 

It was like something was sucking all of the air from my lungs, something forcing me awake and breaking my ribs just to get enough oxygen back into my body. 

‘Angelina.’ Remus was next to me, trying to help me calm down. Something was wrong though, someone was missing. 

‘Darren, Darren,’ I panted. ‘Where is he?’ 

I could feel the difference in the room, I could feel the tension building. 

‘Angelina, you need to breathe.’ Remus was tired, I could feel it in his touch. His warm hands, the ones I missed so much, gently helping me lie back down. My chest hurt, my body felt weaker than I thought possible, but Remus was with me, so I knew that everything would be okay in the end. ‘Angelina, please, breathe for me.’ He had been crying, I hated it when he was upset. I wanted to see him smile again. ‘Angelina.’ He begged again.

I felt my eyes snapping open, I wasn’t sure when I had closed them, but the second I did, I felt my lungs inflate with one glorious breath of cool air. Remus and his beautiful blue eyes staring down at me, I loved him, with everything I could muster, I loved him. 

‘Remus.’ I breathed. 

‘Yes, yes, it’s me.’ His hand brushed away any hair on my face and his lips pressed against my forehead, I never wanted him to stop.

‘Don’t stop.’ I said, just as he pulled away. Remus half smiled at me and pressed another kiss to my forehead, and another to my cheeks, and to my lips. He didn’t stop kissing me and it was bliss. 

‘I’ve missed you,’ he said, holding my hand and stroking my forehead gently. Remus was so warm. ‘So much.’ 

I could see my hand in his, it was bony and pale. How could Remus stand touching it? 

‘As beautiful as ever.’ Remus said, reading my mind. ‘I won’t ever think otherwise, no matter what.’

‘I love you.’ I whispered. Remus just began crying and smiling and kissing my hand, my wrist, my arm, he ran his hands over my arm, and I had just enough energy to move into his touch just a little. 

‘I love you too. I’m so happy you’re home.’ Remus took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

The moment was short-lived, and the sinking feeling came creeping back. 

‘Where’s Darren?’ I asked again. Remus’s face dropped, I wanted so badly for it to go back to a smile. ‘Something happened to him, didn’t it?’ I could see my words were upsetting him, but I had to know where my brother was. ‘I dreamt that he was taken from the house, it felt real. Tell me he’s okay.’ 

Remus just watched me, pressing my hand to his cheek and trying to keep calm. 

‘Promise me something,’ he said, still touching me anywhere he could reach. ‘Promise me that you will wait until you are strong enough, Angelina. You’re so weak, you’re in no condition to do any good for anyone right now, so please, just let me take care of you for a while.’

I nodded immediately, I would do anything if it meant seeing him happy and my brother again. Remus took another breath before telling me.

‘Darren has been taken to Azkaban,’ I could feel my rage beginning to burn. ‘The minister believes he and your father have been keeping your whereabouts a secret. He made it the ministry’s special interest to know where you are at all times, that means anyone keeping information about your location is considered to be a traitor by law. Darren asked that you be told as soon as you asked and that you let no one get in your way when going to plead his case. I’m asking you to just wait until you are strong enough, before you do anything rash.’

It was clear that my anger was beginning to heat me up, my skin didn’t look as pale and my grip on Remus’s hand was tightening. How could anyone think my brother was a traitor? They were the traitors, they were the ones who deserved to be punished.

‘Angelina?’

‘How long before I can leave?’ I asked and pain whipped across Remus’s face. He couldn’t answer, I knew that face, I knew the one where he wanted me just stay with him and not rush into anything. ‘Remus-‘

‘I know.’ His hand came to stroke my cheek. ‘Angelina, I know you can’t leave him. But I only just got you back, please just let me help you get better and then I won’t stand in your way.’ 

‘You’re suspiciously okay with this.’ I frowned. 

Remus just laughed and continued to take deep breaths. ‘A lot has happened over the past two years; a lot has changed.’ 

It was only at that moment I realised where I was, the hospital wing. Why was I back at Hogwarts? I thought I was being taken to St Mungo’s or back home where my father could look after me.

‘I’ve changed as well,’ I could feel my tears falling from my eyes and Remus wiped every single one. ‘I hope you don’t hate me for it.’

‘I couldn’t.’ Remus shook his head. ‘I could never hate you. I love you Angelina, with all my heart.’ 

I wasn’t exactly sure of what happened after that, I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew, I was dreaming about Azkaban. 

 

‘How is she?’ Dumbledore asked, he approached the bed where Remus had been for the last week. 

‘Better.’ Remus nodded and placed Angelina’s hand back down, she had only just lost consciousness again. He was getting desperate for the moments where she was awake and able to talk to him, they were few and far between and her memory seemed foggy. It was the third time she had asked about her brother, and the third time he asked her to promise him she would wait until she was strong enough before doing anything reckless.

George and Anna were fighting the ministry for Darren’s release, they would never quit, but could only fight as long as Angelina was safe. Dumbledore had offered sanctuary at Hogwarts and promised he would try to make Fudge see reason. But truthfully nothing could be done until Angelina woke up and could communicate clearly. 

‘Better is good.’ The headmaster sat opposite his Dark Arts teacher and Remus was hyper aware of how exhausted he looked. ‘You should get some sleep, Remus.’

‘I can’t. If she wakes up and I’m not here-‘

‘She will be seen to by Poppy,’ Dumbledore cut in. ‘Do not risk your own health for hers, she needs you to stay strong while she regains her own strength.’

‘I made a promise.’ Remus shook his head.

Dumbledore didn’t say anything else, he just nodded and left Remus in peace.

 

It was a long couple of weeks, the students had gone home, the chamber was no longer a concern for the teachers and Remus was in need of Angelina more than ever. He tried so hard to figure out what she needed, he asked her when she was awake if there was anything he could do and all she ever asked was that he climb into bed next to her and read. He never refused.

It was just feeling her frail body against his that gave him hope. He had begun regaining any lost weight and she was finally getting stronger, her skin wasn’t as pale and she was able to stay awake a little longer than before. But she still wasn’t able to talk about what happened. Remus was the only one with any amount of patience left to remain with her and not lose his temper. 

Benji had managed to write a short letter and given the circumstances, it was dangerous that he even attempted to communicate with the school. Remus wouldn’t dare reply in case his message was intercepted.

 

Remus,

Just a quick update. Darren’s hearing is on the 25th July. Seeing as you are close with the Lockwood family, I thought this might interest you. 

Please send mine and Jocelyne’s love to all at Hogwarts. Jackson and Harper have been asking to see their godparents again, it would be nice if you could make time to visit.

Benji

 

They had become accustomed to speaking in a formal manner so as to avoid any unwanted attention. Remus knew full well what he was trying to tell him and Angelina needed to know.

‘Good morning.’ He said, seeing her eyes open, her beautiful, ocean blue eyes. He had missed her more than his heart could take. ‘How are you?’

‘I missed you.’

‘I didn’t leave, I’ve been here all this time.’ Remus brushed the hair from her cheek, it was looking thicker and her cheek weren’t as hollow as they had been. 

‘I know, but I miss you when I close my eyes.’ She scanned his face and smiled, letting a tear fall from the corner of her eye. Remus brushed his thumb over it and smiled down at her. ‘Where’s Darren?’

Remus sighed. ‘You remember I told you, he was taken to Azkaban.’

‘I remember.’ She nodded and indicated that she wanted to sit up. Remus helped her adjust the pillows and sit up to face him. ‘Why is he there?’

Remus went through the same conversation again, telling her why Darren was in Azkaban and about the letter from Benji. 

‘We should go to the hearing.’ Angelina said, sipping her pumpkin juice, she seemed much more awake than usual. ‘I can’t let Darren do this alone.’

‘I understand that, but I am worried that if you simply turn up unannounced, it may upset the minister and cause more harm than good.’ Remus tired so hard to make her see that she wasn’t ready to leave, but he feared he was losing that battle and quickly.

‘How long before I am ready to leave?’ 

‘It’s difficult to say, we can’t really work out what’s wrong to make a prediction.’

Angelina suddenly looked at him, it was like she was remembering something. ‘I need to tell you things. Things that happened, they’re important. But I need my brother back so he can know as well. I have to go and get him.’

‘Angelina, you promised me.’ That had her stopping everything, she was half way out of bed, but the second she remembered her promise, she froze. ‘You promised that you would let me take care of you until you were strong enough to leave.’

Angelina thought for a moment, but soon tucked herself back under the sheets and sighed.

‘Angelina, I am afraid for what you’re about to do,’ Remus said, calmly. ‘But I learnt the hard way that there’s no stopping you once you’ve put your mind to something… just let me help you survive whatever it is you’re about to go running into.’ He ran his hands over her arm again, hoping it would somehow help her to see that he was only trying to help her. ‘I have had a lot of time to think over the past two years, a lot of time to wonder about us and I think I know what my role in this is now. You are so incredibly important to so many people and I hasten to add that I still can’t believe that you chose me out of all the appropriate suitors, nevertheless,’ he stopped her speaking, before she could interrupt. ‘I accept that you have and will always be grateful for the love you have given me.’ Remus swallowed, nothing else seemed as important as this, nothing about the minister, David, Darren or even the chamber seemed important. ‘I can never be the hero that you are to so many, I could never have the courage to stand against people that you have no problem putting in their place and I could never be as important as you are. But I can be yours, I can be everything you need to survive, I can help you get better when you come home and I can help you be strong again when you decide to go somewhere dangerous. That, I believe, will be the role I play in our relationship.’ Remus could see the familiar confusion and it almost made him smile, it was the only way he knew she was back. ‘Angelina, I couldn’t go to Tibet to find you, I wish I could have, but with my condition, it would have taken too long for me to adjust and if you had returned in that time…’

‘My father came.’

‘Yes, as did Darren, he’s been back and forth for Quidditch, claiming some old injury has been catching up to him, all of it to cover up the real reason they’ve been away.’ Remus nodded. 

Angelina thought to herself for a moment or two, before frowning and shaking her head. ‘I have so much to tell you and I get the feeling that just telling you won’t be enough for you to understand.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I want to show you, but you’re right, I’m not strong enough yet.’ She sighed and brought her other hand to move the stray hair away from his face, the same way he had done every time she woke up. ‘The oracles taught me a lot of things, some of the magic we were looking at seems mad, I mean it really does,’ that made Remus half laugh, given everything, he wasn’t sure what she could say that he wouldn’t believe. ‘And I don’t want to be misunderstood when I tell you, I want you to try something with you, something that I think Tenzin did with me before he died.’

Remus just watched her for a moment, her wonderfully blue eyes bore into him, begged him to agree. He nodded and Angelina just smiled her excited smile. 

‘It won’t hurt, I promise.’

 

Nathan was excited to do the rounds, he’d never thought it possible that he would be in this position before, but thanks to Professor Lupin, here he was.

‘Right,’ Lily turned to face the four new Healers. ‘Remember to keep notes, things that seem irrelevant are often the most important when it comes to patient care. Over the next few days we’ll start to look at what each of your strengths are and focus on your weaknesses. Healer training is hard, it’s gruelling and often you will think you live in this place, but these people need us and we are taking on the responsibility of potentially being the only people in the world who care. So, let’s begin.’

Nathan went around each patient and took all the notes his parchment could fit. Lily Potter was a great teacher, she was clam, collected and nothing seemed to faze her. Her voice was soothing when talking to patients, something that Nathan took note of and tried to put it into action when he had his own patient to care for. 

All the Healers were given a low priority patient to take care of, Nathan was in the middle of reassuring his patient when Lily approached. 

‘Haywood, can I have a word?’ She said, whatever she wanted Nathan for, it was serious. Nathan followed Lily to an empty office, she immediately put up silencing charms and put the radio on, turning it a little louder than an acceptable level. She approached Nathan, invading his personal space and spoke in no more than a whisper. ‘Is Angie safe?’

It was the last thing Nathan expected to be asked. Clearly she was talking about the Lockwoods, but why would she need to know if Angie was safe? Was there a chance she wasn’t?

‘Darren, her brother, has been taken to Azkaban,’ she continued to whisper. ‘Angie, upon hearing this, will react and it may not be in the way we would like her to.’

‘Why is he in Azkaban?’ Nathan kept his voice low as well, it seemed silly considering how much noise there was in the room and the silencing charms. 

‘The minister has placed Angie on the special interest list, the list itself isn’t common knowledge, though many of us believe it should be,’ Lily explained. ‘It’s how Fudge keeps an eye on people, but if he asks you for the whereabouts of someone on that list and you lie, you will be called a traitor to the ministry and be sent to Azkaban. Its unfair, but where the Lockwoods are concerned, it’s extremely dangerous. So, I ask again, is she safe?’ 

Nathan debated saying anything, remembering what Lupin said about the way he used information. 

‘She’s safe.’ Nathan nodded.

Lily visibly deflated. ‘That can only mean Remus is with her.’ Nathan nodded again. ‘Good. It’s the safest place for her then. Tell no one what you know, Nathan.’

She didn’t wait for Nathan to reply, instead Lily turned the radio off and took down the charms, ushering Nathan out of the office. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about the Lockwoods, secrets were being kept and it was never a good thing.


	22. No One Is Above The Law

George wasn’t strong enough to keep this up, Anna wasn’t strong enough to keep it up and Remus only had strength enough to stay by Angelina’s bedside. George had worried about keeping her at Hogwarts, believing that if she stayed any longer and Dumbledore continued to try to convince the minister to release Darren, then he would eventually figure out where she was. 

Remus wasn’t exactly happy at moving her so soon but agreed that the last place the minister would look was the Lockwood home. No one would think to go back since Darren’s arrest, thinking that she would be moved to a more secure location. 

It was another few days before Angelina woke up again. To Remus’s surprise, Jocelyne had arrived in the early hours of the morning, he had been making breakfast for Angelina who was able to eat again. The potion was only enough to keep her going for so long before she would need to make the effort on her own, it was a slow process, but she was making progress quicker than Remus anticipated. 

‘Remus.’ Jocelyne sighed, smiling through her tired features. She was carrying both of her children, barely three years of age and already it seemed they were entering a dangerous world, though Remus took a little comfort in knowing that Angelina would protect them if Jocelyne asked. 

‘Jocelyne, what are you doing here?’ He said, taking the sleeping Harper and holding her close while Jocelyne closed the back door. Remus was suddenly aware that his shirt wasn’t buttoned all the way up and he wasn’t wearing trousers, well, he wasn’t exactly expecting company at that time in the morning. Jocelyne, however, didn’t seem to care in the slightest. 

‘Benji said that Darren was arrested,’ she was keeping her voice lower than usual. ‘And that Angie was being treated at Hogwarts. I’m not an idiot, I grew up with two Lockwoods, I know that the safest place Angie would be moved to, was right here.’ 

Remus was very impressed. They took the twins to the living room and gently placed them onto the soft sofa. Remus gestured to a thin blanket behind Jocelyne while he quickly darted upstairs to grab his trousers. 

‘Jocelyne’s downstairs with the twins.’ He said, a little out of breath. Angelina was wide awake and staring at the ceiling, but at the mention of the children, perked up and began sitting up in bed. Remus quickly helped her. ‘You need to be careful, you’re still regaining your strength.’

‘I want to see them.’ She said, pleading with her still bloodshot, blue eyes. Remus sighed and kissed her head.

‘Alright, have some breakfast for me first.’ 

Angelina agreed and Remus helped her settle comfortably before heading back downstairs to find Jocelyne finishing breakfast.

‘You hungry?’ Remus brought down another plate, as Jocelyne nodded. It was clear something was bothering her. ‘Is there a reason you came so early?’

‘Well, I guessed that it would draw less attention than arriving in the middle of the day.’ 

‘I suppose you’re right.’ They continued to make breakfast quietly. ‘She wants to see you, but I should warn you, she’s lost a lot of weight, barely survived her time in Tibet. She’s been in and out of consciousness for a couple of weeks now, we’re still not sure what happened, but George found her fighting off Yetis in her animagus.’ Jocelyne stopped what she was doing, holding back her tears. 

Remus placed his hand on her shoulder and was hardly surprised when she turned to wrap her arms around his waist, quietly sobbing against his chest. He knew it was hard to be without Angelina for so long, but to have her back and know that she had seen horrors was somehow worse. Remus did what he could to comfort the young witch and eventually she took a few steady breaths, letting him go. 

‘She’s safe, we can take comfort in that.’ Remus reassured her. Jocelyne attempted to smile and wiped away her tears, getting back to what she was doing. ‘Why don’t you sit down? Have some tea while I take Angelina her breakfast.’

‘Okay, that would be nice, thank you.’ 

Remus had never seen Jocelyne this way, she almost looked helpless, no idea what it was she was supposed to do. There must have been a reason she came to the house, a reason that Remus may not have been so eager to know about. 

He placed a plate down in front of her and rummaged around for George’s stash of chocolate. Jocelyne smiled in thanks and ate quietly while Remus took Angelina her tea and toast. 

‘Here we are.’ He smiled, but before he could set the plate down, she spoke.

‘I can feel them.’ There was a distance in her eyes that Remus had never seen before, like nothing was quite in focus, but she was definitely looking at something. ‘They’re dreaming about dancing figures and playing in the garden… Jocelyne’s worried about Benji, the minister is putting pressure on him.’ Suddenly her eyes snapped back into focus. ‘Why is the minister putting pressure on the Aurors? Is it because of me?’

Remus wasn’t sure what to do, she wasn’t making a lot of sense, who was she talking about? The twins? Remus sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Angelina, her eyes looked much more tired than they had done before. 

‘You remember when I told you I could feel dark magic?’

‘Yes,’ Remus nodded. ‘The brother helped you when facing Nakamura.’

‘I don’t need his help anymore, I can do it better without him.’ Angelina tried to explain. ‘It’s one of the things the Oracles taught me to do. They also taught me to feel other types of magic, to see things I never thought possible. I will show you when I can.’

Remus just sighed again and tore his gaze away to think. ‘You need to eat, Harper and Jackson are sleeping, I believe you when you saying you know what they’re dreaming about, but this is a lot for everyone to process, you understand? I just want you to feel better before you do anything too arduous. So please, just eat for me, rest and try to appreciate whatever reaction Jocelyne will have when she comes to see you.’ 

The familiar misunderstanding in Angelina’s frown appeared and it pleased Remus to no end, it was the only thing that told him that underneath everything, she was still the woman he loved. She nodded and let Remus kiss her still cracked lips gently.

He headed back downstairs to see Jocelyne still eating in silence, he put music on in the background and smiled politely at her.

‘How is she?’ Jocelyne asked as he sat down, sipping his tea. Remus suddenly didn’t feel very hungry. 

‘She’s awake.’ Remus didn’t really know what else to say.

‘Harper misses you.’ That made Remus chuckle a little. ‘Jackson is more adventurous… Angie has missed out on a lot, you’d think she would want to spend more time with them, I know she’s been away and there’s a reason for it,’ Jocelyne started to lose control of her tears again. ‘But Jack never even saw them.’ 

Remus wasn’t expecting that, Jack Rathborne had been dead for three years and the world continued to move on without him. It was hard to know just how difficult life had been without him, but Remus was starting to get a glimpse. 

‘I’m sorry,’ Jocelyne held her head in her hands. ‘I shouldn’t be saying these things. Benji says we need to be careful what we say out loud.’

‘Well, I think we can safely assume that in this particular house, there is very little that will make it into the outside world.’ Remus again placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘George and Anna take the safety of their family very seriously, I doubt even the Aurors could break in if they wanted to, let alone anything else.’

At least that made her laugh. It was suddenly apparent that Jackson and Harper were awake. Jackson was probably leading his sister into trouble of sorts. Jocelyne just shook her head and went to get them both, while Remus finished his tea. 

‘Emus!’ Harper came bounding into the kitchen and Remus had to laugh at her slight speech impediment, getting his name a little wrong.

‘There she is,’ Remus said, enthusiastically and picked her up to sit on his lap. ‘Are you hungry?’ 

Remus followed Jocelyne’s lead and grabbed some toast, which he tore slightly smaller pieces off to hand to Harper. 

‘Will you make the lady dance again?’ Jackson asked and Harper nodded along. Remus had the distinct impression that he was only asking because his sister enjoyed it. 

‘Well, what if I said I knew someone who can make a hundred people dance all around the room?’ Remus watched Harper’s mouth drop open in disbelief. Jocelyne just watched him, with a smile on her pretty face, probably the first proper smile she’d had in a long time. ‘If you finish your breakfast, we’ll go and see Angelina, that is if she is well enough.’

‘Is she sick?’ Harper suddenly had a very sad look on her face.

‘No, not exactly, but she has been on a very long trip, so she is very tired.’ Remus tried to give an explanation to avoid any worrying on the two-and-a-half-year old’s behalf. ‘So, it’ll only be a quick visit, but I’m sure she’ll have a great story to tell you both.’

Remus and Jocelyne helped them finish their toast and wash the dishes. Remus rushed upstairs to make sure Angelina was up for a visit and to his surprise she very much was. He helped her change her shirt and sit up comfortably in bed, before entering with three of the four Meyers.

‘Angie,’ Jocelyne sighed and straightaway hugged her best friend. Remus held the twins hands and led them to the edge of the bed, next to the chair Remus usually sat in. ‘I’m so happy you’re home. God, you’re so thin.’

‘Yeah, I noticed that.’ Angelina laughed and hugged Jocelyne again, before spotting her god children. ‘Well, well, well, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you two. Remus says I owe you a story.’ Harper was much shyer than Jackson who indicated he wanted to get onto the bed with his mother, whereas she just clung onto Remus’s arm, unsure of what to do. Remus just picked her up and let her sit on his lap while Angelina thought about a good story she could tell. 

‘What about the Triwizard tournament?’ Remus suggested. ‘If I remember correctly that one involved a mighty hero, dancing and a rather large dragon.’

‘Dragons!’ Jackson cheered and Harper took a slight interest when the dancing was mentioned. 

‘You’re right, lets see if I can remember how that one goes.’ 

Remus always knew Angelina was a good story teller, she always loved a good performance for the first years when she was at Hogwarts, and he had seen her educating young students beside the black lake with incredible animation and enthusiasm. This story was no different. She told the story of her journey through the Triwizard tournament, creating the character of the champion and making her into a strong hero that would entertain the twins. 

Harper had crawled onto the bed with her brother when the dancing figures arrived, she adored the way they moved and Angelina used more skill than Remus remembered she had to please her goddaughter. It was at that moment, he heard someone arriving downstairs and excused himself from the story.

‘George?’ Remus said, as he stepped into the kitchen. The exhausted Healer looked over at him and sighed shaking his head. It was another unsuccessful plea. Remus could hear Anna sobbing in the living room, he hated to hear such pain, but the good news was that Angelina was awake and happily telling her godchildren a story.

‘That is good news.’ George said, sitting down with some difficulty at the kitchen table. ‘At least there’s that.’ 

‘You know the minister won’t be able to say no forever.’ Remus tried to encourage him not to lose faith. ‘Angelina won’t be stopped from getting her brother back, we all know that.’

‘The only question I fear the answer, is to what lengths will she go?’ George sighed and let his head drop onto his hand. ‘She won’t take kindly to the minister and if he puts up any kind of resistance, it might not end well.’

‘She’s different, George, we can all see it, she’s calmer, more clear headed. This doesn’t have to end badly.’ Remus said.

‘Perhaps you’re right.’ George sighed with exhaustion. ‘Perhaps, everything will be fine… in the end.’ 

It was the second time, Remus had witnessed George cry and it didn’t get any easier, he made sure George had a cup of tea and took one to Anna as well. She had fallen asleep on the sofa, it was no wonder, they both had been operating on little to no sleep for months, it was bound to catch up to them. 

Remus encouraged George to take his wife to bed so they both could rest, they needed it desperately. He went back into Angelina’s room to find four sleeping bodies, Harper and Jackson both tucked under the quilt with their godmother and Jocelyne curled at the end of the bed. Remus grabbed a blanket to lay over her while he sat with the Daily Prophet and waited for the house to wake again.

 

I felt the twins fading as I came to the end of the story, Jocelyne was fast asleep before I finished, but I wasn’t expecting to tire so quickly myself. That was until I found my eyes opening and Remus coming into focus. 

‘Morning.’ I said, seeing him reading the paper.

‘Good morning, Angelina.’ He smiled down at me. ‘I’m sure Jocelyne will ask you for more bed time stories when the twins are struggling to fall asleep. She’s missed you.’

‘So have you.’ 

‘I always miss you.’ Remus put the paper down and leaned closer to the bed. ‘Your parents are home. It was another unsuccessful plea to the minister and we’re running out of options, the trial has been moved to this afternoon and it doesn’t look good. If your father isn’t careful, he could be facing the same charges.’

I felt the familiar rage burning in my chest. How dare the minister take my brother. How dare he come near my family and threaten their lives. I would not stand for it.

‘You are getting better,’ Remus was always good at reading my mind. ‘But not enough to do anything just yet, just rest for me.’

How could I rest? How could I stay in the comfort of my bed while my brother was suffering at the hands of the dementors? It wasn’t fair. The minister had some questions to answer. 

Jocelyne eventually woke up as did my parents, in time for Darren’s trial, I was doing my best to conserve energy, knowing that telling the story had taken a lot out of me and anything else may have been a little too much. 

‘I’m going to take Jocelyne home,’ Remus said, climbing into bed with me. ‘Will you be alright without me for an hour?’

‘I’ll be fine.’ I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist. I’d missed holding him against me. ‘Just make sure she’s safe.’

‘Of course.’ Remus kissed the top of my head, before leaving to take Jocelyne home. 

I wasn’t quite tired enough to go back to sleep, so reached over to grab the paper Remus had been reading. My brother’s trial was all over the front page and I flicked past it, knowing it would only make me angry that I wasn’t there. Not much else caught my eye until I got almost to the sport section, it was a small article, barely a hundred words, but it told me everything I needed to know. The village in Tibet had been taken over by Yetis, no survivors. I felt a lump of guilt sitting in the pit of my stomach, I had caused this, it was my fault.

I wasn’t sure where I found my energy from, my body was weak, I was breathing heavily and just putting my trousers on was an effort, but I needed to get to the ministry, I would never let my brother down. I would never let that village down, I needed to make things right.

I grabbed a recovery potion from the cupboard in the kitchen and made sure I wrapped my long black coat tightly around my body. Remus wouldn’t be happy anyway, but if he found out that I’d both been neglectful and reckless, there would be hell to pay. 

Apparating made me feel sick and made me fall onto my knees the second I arrived in the ministry reception, I didn’t have time to thank the people who showed concern for my wellbeing, instead, I downed the potion and headed straight for the courtrooms. I felt a small rush of energy and used it to find out which courtroom had my family in it. Courtroom ten. 

I didn’t bother knocking, I just pushed the doors open to see that the trial was near enough over. Darren was nowhere to be seen, I could feel the remnants of him and that of my parents, but they were no longer in the room. Everyone was looking at me as I strode into the middle of the room, I could hear the minister being called back.

‘Angie Lockwood?’ He said and I felt myself immediately hate him.

‘Where’s Darren?’ I asked, not wanting to spend any more time on these people than I needed to. 

‘I’m afraid the trial is over,’ Fudge tried to explain. ‘He has been found guilty-‘

‘I asked you a question minister. I will have my answer.’ Even I felt the growl in my chest, something was happening. My body was slipping back into survival mode, I could already feel my muscles getting tighter, warmer, ready to move. 

‘I’m afraid he has already been taken back to Azkaban.’

‘Release him.’ I ordered. 

‘Not possible.’ The minister went to walk away.

‘Don’t you dare turn your back on me!’ I roared. The entire room focussed on me, there was a bombardment on my mind, there were far too many people and I hadn’t yet learnt to control what I was seeing, the oracles never made it that far. I needed to try and block out the background noise and focus on the minister. I took a steady breath and looked up at the startled man. ‘Why have you sent my brother to Azkaban? Tell me the charges.’

‘He lied.’ It was that sickening voice, the one I hated more than any sound in the world. Umbridge. ‘And lying to the minister is one of the most severe crimes a person can commit.’

I glanced at her and knew I would need to take a different approach.

‘If you don’t tell me minister, I will be forced to find out through other means. Don’t test me.’ 

‘Is that a threat?’

‘Oh, do shut up, Umbridge.’ I said, exasperated. 

‘Perhaps you should answer Dolores’s question instead of strutting in here barking out demands.’ Fudge spoke up.

My body suddenly surged with a burst of adrenaline, something was causing my body to react. Where was the brother when I needed him? 

‘Don’t make an enemy of me minister.’ I stepped forward keeping my voice low, I could feel the familiar wolfish growl in my chest, it was getting louder. ‘You’ve been looking for me for a reason, you’ve taken my brother from me, you’ve ignored the pleas from my parents and I know that you heard about what I did in Tibet. So tell me, how smart do you think you are right now? What makes you think this is a good idea? Taking my brother away from me, trying to hurt my family. Do you really think that I’ll just sit back and allow you to continue?’

‘No one is above the law, Miss Lockwood,’ I heard the quake in his voice, no one else would have noticed, but it was clear as day. ‘Despite your brother’s celebrity status, he is not immune to-‘

‘I’m running out of patience minister.’ I was dangerously close to morphing back into my animagus, I couldn’t lose control like that, not now. I could feel something at the front of the minister’s mind, something that was making him feel guilty. ‘Tell me about the list.’

I latched onto the minister feelings, his heart had dropped, clearly the list was something important. ‘How do you know about that?’

‘The same way I know that…’ something else was drawing me in, distracting me, but somehow it felt important. A hospital bed, a body lying in it, unconscious not dead. It was a memory, not recent. I could feel where the memory was coming from, it was screaming at me to look. I was blinded by pink, but eventually everything came into focus. ‘You stood over my bed and threatened me,’ Umbridge suddenly looked very uncomfortable. ‘Three years ago, my father told you that I would not be available for questioning, you ignored him and came into my room anyway… I know every word of what you said.’ She was just about to interrupt. ‘It doesn’t matter if I can prove it, because now you know that I know what you did.’

‘This is all very entertaining, Miss Lockwood.’ Fudge cut in and I spun back around to face him. ‘But I’m afraid this court has other matters to be dealing with.’

‘Minister if my brother isn’t returned to me, I will be forced to retrieve him myself.’

There was a hum of laughter that echoed around the room. 

‘I hardly think dramatics are the solution here, his crimes stand as does his sentence.’ The minister began moving to leave.

‘What happens if you’re wrong? What happens if I walk into Azkaban, get my brother and walk out?’

Fudge sighed and half laughed. ‘You’ll never get to Azkaban, the dementors will not allow it.’

‘You drop all charges against my brother,’ I could feel my energy slipping away again. ‘That’s what will happen, because if I succeed you will have no choice.’ Everyone stopped again. ‘I will get my brother back, a few hundred dementors won’t stop me and you know that, that’s why you’re so keen to leave, to ignore the problem, but let me tell you now, minister, I am a Lockwood! That name is older than any of you can imagine and it will not be called into question. I have no intention of living a criminal life, but I am determined to eliminate that which is dark by nature. Nothing will stand in my way! I hope you live long enough to thank me for it!’ 

I didn’t wait for a response, I strode out of the courtroom with one destination in mind. Azkaban.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long delays between chapters! I'm just back from climbing mountains and doing a couple of events for charity, it was tons of fun and I felt I needed to focus on training for that for a while. But I'm back and hopefully I'll get a few chapters in to finish off this part of the story. 
> 
> Hope you've all been well in my absence and I'm looking forward to getting back to it :)
> 
> Love Jadders92 x


	23. The Prisoner of Azkaban

I didn’t have time to go back home, but I needed to warn someone of what I was about to do. I moved as quietly and as subtly I could towards the department of muggle artefacts, it was safe enough in an empty office. I conjured a small patronus, small enough to make its way unnoticed to Benji’s desk. 

Quite by chance I saw another recovery potion, doubling checking that’s what it was, I downed it and headed for the ministry reception, keeping my head down so that I could apparate.

Azkaban was located on an unknown island in the North Sea, no one knew exactly where it was, but with the shear amount of dark magic that surrounded the prison, I shouldn’t have had any difficulty in finding it. I could use my animagus to remain undetected, but the problem with that was my animagus was potentially larger than the corridors would accommodate for. I would have to improvise when I could.

The big problem was how I was going to make it to the island, I couldn’t swim the whole way, I was far too weak for that, even with my animagus. I could just about see a small house close to the cliff edge, hopefully it was a wizarding house and one of them had a broom I could use. I walked across the open field, focussing on what I needed to do, it was the only thing that was keeping my legs going. 

It was a muggle house, not much chance of finding a broom then. 

‘Excuse me?’ I called, seeing a middle aged man in the garden. ‘I’m sorry, I’m a bit lost, got turned around in the woods on the hill.’

‘Oh right, yes, easily done.’ He said cheerfully in a thick Scottish accent and wandered over to me. ‘We get a lot of campers coming through here, you’ll be looking for St Cyrus?’

‘Yes, that’s right.’ I panted.

‘Well, if you follow the road at the front of the house, you’ll end up just outside of town, but it’s a clear route to get there.’ He nodded.

‘Thank you very much, sorry to bother you.’ I smiled and prayed he would invite me into his house. I went to walk towards the front of the house, pulling my collar up and my coat tighter to my body. 

‘You’ve had a long walk?’ He suddenly asked. 

‘Sorry? Oh yeah, I came from Kinnaber, took the trail into the woodland and somehow ended up this side.’ I chuckled, hoping my exhaustion showed.

‘That is a long walk,’ I could see him musing, thinking about what to say next. ‘Why don’t you come in for a cup of tea? Rest your legs for a bit?’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude.’

‘Nonsense, my wife will be cleaning up from lunch, I’ll see if there’s anything left for you.’ The man approached me and began ushering me into his house. ‘No reason you should walk a mile on an empty stomach.’

‘Well thank you, that’s very kind. I am pretty tired.’ I chuckled, feeling the pull of my animagus again. 

‘Frances?’ The man called as we entered into his kitchen, I wiped my shoes on the mat and looked around for anything I could use to get to Azkaban. 

It was a modest home, a farmer’s home. Everything was dark wood, plants covered the entire kitchen as well as what looked to be the ingredients for someone about to start making some kind of pie or cake. It was clear that they had children, but they had since moved out, so it was just the two of them living in the house. It looked to be around two bedrooms, possibly one spare, the living room looked cosy and accommodating for a small family for Christmas and other holidays. 

I spotted a tatty broom in the corner of the kitchen, it would have to do. Improvise. 

‘Sorry I didn’t catch your name?’ The man came back, his wife following, she had a wonderfully kind face.

‘Angie.’ I smiled.

‘Thomas says you were camping?’ Frances wandered straight over to the fridge and the man known as Thomas gestured for me to sit at the small round kitchen table. 

‘Yes, just over night, but somehow managed to get a bit turned around and ended up here.’ I half laughed. ‘I hope I’m not being an inconvenience for you.’

‘No, no, of course not,’ Frances batted away my comment and began making what smelled like some form of soup. ‘We get a lot of campers coming here, asking for directions into town, it’s no trouble at all. Would you like a roll as well? I’ve just made some fresh.’

‘That sounds wonderful. Thank you.’

Thomas eventually went back out into the garden to continue working, while Frances and I stayed in the kitchen. She was very chatty and very kind, telling me stories of her family and her two sons who had left to work as a lawyer and an engineer in the city, she was very proud. I managed to eat most of the lunch she had made for me and did my best to engage her in her conversation about her sons, but I was very aware that my time was running out. I needed to leave before it was too late. 

‘Well, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time, I best be on my way.’ I said, standing and feeling my legs coming back to me. ‘Thank you for your hospitality, Frances.’

‘It’s no problem, I’ll just go and get Thomas.’ She said and shouted on her husband. This was the only chance I was going to get, the second Thomas was in view I brought my wand out and removed myself from their memories. It was a few precious seconds I had to summon the broom to my hand and dart out the back door and in the opposite direction to the house. They would soon refocus, and I needed to be gone by then.

I walked for while towards the sound of the sea, trying to make the broom fit for flying, it took a while and I knew it was because I was tiring again. I finished off the broom on the beach, it wouldn’t be perfect and it would be slow, but it would get me where I was going. 

I made sure that no muggles were around, throwing the broom down in front of me, it wasn’t especially steady, but that was okay, it held my weight fine and began moving as quickly as it would go towards the middle of the North Sea. 

It was colder the further I went, but suddenly something caught my attention, it was like ice, but pulling me in one very clear direction; darkness. Turning wasn’t the broom’s strong point and it took me a while to find the dark trail again, but the second I found it, I pushed a little harder towards wherever it was coming from and soon it began to get stronger. I tired hard to stay steady on the broom, but it was starting to reach its limits.

I wasn’t sure how long to follow the dark trail, but it felt like a good few hours, the sun was starting to go down, I needed to find Azkaban quickly, otherwise I would be a dead giveaway with my wand lighting the way.

‘Angie?’ It was the brother, it had been almost entire year since I last heard from him and it sounded like the year had been especially unkind. ‘Where are we going?’

I debated telling him the truth, but in all honesty, I could use all the help I could get.

‘Azkaban.’ I said, the wind was freezing my face and speaking hurt as much as moving any other part of my body. 

‘We can’t go there, it’s too dangerous.’ If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve said the brother was struggling to stay conscious.

‘Darren is there, I won’t abandon him,’ I said in defiance. ‘And you will help me if I need it.’

The brother didn’t respond, but I could feel him listening. I kept flying towards the darkness, feeling it getting thicker and thicker in my chest. That was until I could see something in the distance.

‘Azkaban.’ The brother whispered. I was so close, the sun was descending quickly and I would only have a few precious minutes before the light disappeared entirely. 

Something began creaking, I looked down to see the tip of the broom icing over, dementors were closing in. When I looked to the sky I could see them, black cloaks floating around against the darkness of the sky, the noise was unbearable, the screeching they made sent shivers down my spine, I was already tired and the cold was making it difficult for me to take deep breaths.

I was trying so hard, too hard. I took a slow steady breath, feeling the broom beginning to crumble beneath my feet, it was breaking and soon I would have to change into my animagus and swim the rest of the way.

The screeching was suddenly piercing my ear and the next thing I knew was the freezing cold of the sea. I felt my body spasming into the wolf that had been fighting to get out since the ministry. Something about being a wolf made me feel better, like this was my natural state, like this was the only way my body knew how to behave anymore. The dementor that had glided close to me was gone as was the broom. The only thing to do was to swim towards the thickening darkness of Azkaban. 

The water was icy and every breath I took was painful, heavy and filled me with a desire to give up. I couldn’t give up so easily, I couldn’t just let my brother rot away in this place. We would live long, happy lives. It was like a mantra now, not something to aim for, but simply words enough to keep me moving forward. I hadn’t anticipated the climb, but my newfound experience of climbing mountains came in useful.

I used my sharpened claws to grab onto the side of the steep tower block and used any strength I might have had left to climb. I don’t know how long I scaled the towering prison, but the fact that I was starting to feel the heat of the sunrise on my back told me all I needed to know. 

The entrance was so close, I could see the ledge over the top of the prison, just a few more steps and I would make it to the door. Why was the sun so hot on my back? It was such a sharp contrast to the icy winds that surrounded Azkaban and the dementors that guarded it. 

My muscles hurt more than I could ever remember them hurting, maybe it was my imagination, but I was sure that I’d never been through such a physical toll like that one before. My body was failing me and I could easily have just fallen asleep where I was, but Darren needed me. I crawled in my animagus, which was smaller than it had been in Tibet, and found the entrance to Azkaban. 

Something made me turn to a small dark corner, some tiny piece of magic that didn’t quite fit like the darkness. I saw what appeared to be a small statue of a wolf, barely big enough to fit the palm of my hand, but I knew Benji was looking out for me. It sat on top of a small wooden box which I recognised from Benji’s dormitory in Hogwarts.

I changed back into my human form and risked a glance towards where the dementors were circling, they were far enough away from the entrance not to notice my presence and I quickly opened the box, carefully moving the statue without touching it; if I was right about what I felt, it was a portkey.

 

Angie,

Burn this after reading it. The portkey has been activated. You will have one hour after opening the box to find Darren and get out. I couldn’t find out his cell number, but he’ll be in one of two places most likely. Either the top three floors where our most dangerous criminals are kept or between floor 53 and 68, reserved for lower level criminals or those of public interest. 

Do not try and contact me after your return, no one can know that I’ve helped you, the consequences would be severe and I can’t put my family at risk like that. Kingsley will suspect something, he always does. 

Find Darren and do not get yourself killed. Remus won’t forgive this.

Benji

 

My heart was pounding with a heavy weight of guilt. How could I have been so rash and just left Remus like that? He trusted me to keep my promise, my one promise to do nothing until I was strong enough, but my impulse led me to ignore him and put my life at risk for my brother. The weight lifted again as my focus narrowed in on my brother, I only had an hour and Benji had place two bottles of some potion in the box as well as a small amount of chocolate, just enough to get myself and Darren out of Azkaban.

I tried the lower levels first, scanning every second level in my animagus and doing everything I could to go undetected. It was like I could feel their crimes, the guilt, the pride, the pain and the sadness, it was like an infection over the whole building. Darren had to have been on the upper levels, the top three floors.

I still had time, but something was telling me I would need all of it to find Darren and get out.

The top three floors felt heavier, thicker and more tortuous on my mind. I could feel my joints weighing my whole body down and I wondered if anyone would care if I just lay in the middle of the corridor and let the dementors take me. I felt my body change back into human form and collapse against the dark stone, I was exhausted and running out of will to keep going.

‘Hey.’ It was a harsh whisper that came floating to me and I wondered if the brother was trying to help, finally. ‘Hey, wake up.’ It didn’t sound much like the brother, the voice was much more hoarse and ragged. ‘The dementors are coming, change back, quickly.’ Change back?

They must have been talking about my animagus, I pushed my body back into the wolf shape that now felt more familiar than my own body and stayed close to the door to the cell. I turned to see what appeared to be a big black dog staring back at me, was it a mirror? Was this what I looked like now? No longer the wolf that could stop a werewolf in its tracks, but now a mangey mutt, it must’ve been this place. 

I felt the icy cold of the dementors gliding through the corridor and I stayed close to the cell as the dog came to lie next to me. I thought on Remus and how disappointed he would have been knowing what I was doing and how scared I was of going back home to him. Why did I do this? Why did I let impulse and obsession take over? Would this ever be over?

‘You can change back now.’ The dog was no longer a dog, it was a man, one I half recognised. His face was gaunt, pale and hollow cheeks, his beard was thin and his dark hair looked as though it needed a good wash. ‘Change back.’

I took a breath and suddenly felt the hot tears that had been apparently streaming down my cheeks.

‘What’s your name?’ The man asked, he was exhausted, but in a more permanent state than me. Something about him felt out of place, something warmer than any other criminal in this place.

‘Angie.’ My voice was low and barely above a whisper. ‘Angie Lockwood.’

‘I take it you’re an Auror?’ I shook my head, pulling my legs to curl underneath my body, anything to stay a little warmer. ‘Ministry official?’ I shook my head again. ‘Then who are you? And what are you doing here?’

His eyes were dark and beady, but there was something so warm behind them. He was innocent. I couldn’t find the energy to talk too much, I would need all the energy I could muster to get Darren back home. 

‘You’re innocent.’ I said, trying to see past all the exhaustion and the pain. He was clearly surprised at my statement, his eyes widening and his thin body shifting back a little. ‘You’ve been put in here for a crime you didn’t commit, but you know who did, don’t you?’

‘Occlumens?’

I shrugged. ‘Of sorts.’ I remembered the chocolate in the box that Benji gave me and slowly took it out, breaking the small piece in half and handing it to the man. He was unsure whether to take it at first, but eventually gave a half smile and ate it silently. 

‘So, Angie, why are you here? If you’re not an Auror or from the ministry, you must be here for something specific?’ I could see a happy memory playing out in his mind, something to do with an old friend. There was a deep sadness followed by hatred that followed and I wondered what it meant.

‘I’m here for my brother.’ I said and suddenly felt the crinkle of the paper I’d been reading the day before in bed. I carefully took it out of my coat pocket and pointed to a picture of him.

‘Darren Lockwood?’ The man smiled a little wider and nodded. ‘You’re his sister?’ I nodded and pulled my coat around my body a little tighter. ‘I think I’ve heard things about you, Fudge sometimes drops off a paper if I’ve been well behaved, helps me keep up with the outside world. I’ve seen some of your articles and I have to say, your work has been fascinating… I had a friend once, he was… you know,’ that brought my focus completely onto the prisoner. ‘Ever since he was a boy, he struggled when we were in school, but he has always been a good man. A kind man.’

Something was looking me straight in the face, something important. ‘Remus Lupin.’ I whispered and the man’s eyes snapped up to mine. ‘Who are you?’

It was a moment before he answered. ‘Sirius Black.’ 

I swallowed the lump in my throat, I’d heard Remus mention this man before, he was an old friend of Remus’s from school. ‘He mentioned you once,’ I racked my brain for the memory of Remus saying his name. ‘You and James taught him to be charming and… romantic.’ The first sign of any kind of warmth and it was my cheeks flooding red.

Sirius frowned and a small smile played on his lips. ‘And how is it you know Moony?’

I felt a small smile appear on my face and Sirius nodded knowingly. 

‘Well, that makes me very happy. How long have you been together? If you don’t mind my asking?’ He suddenly seemed very reluctant to ask anything that may have seemed forward, but I could see the hundreds of questions floating through his mind. 

‘Must be nearly five years now,’ I frowned, trying to think. ‘We, erm… it’s hard to explain. It’s actually hard to say whether we’re even together at the moment.’

‘Yeah, he was always a bit distant with women, but there’s an obvious reason for that.’ Sirius looked pained again.

‘It’s not him.’ I shook my head. ‘I’ve broken too many promises to him.’ I thought about all the times I’d let Remus down and how much of a failure I felt. ‘I was in the Triwizard tournament, I told him I wouldn’t show off for the audience, but I did; I promised him I’d wait until someone could go with me to go to the Alban Hills, but I didn’t, I promised him I would be back by Christmas, but I wasn’t and I promised him that I wouldn’t make a move against the minster until I was strong enough… but here I am… he doesn’t deserve me.’ I felt the tears streaming hot and fast down my face, I couldn’t look at Sirius while I sobbed like a child.

His hand came to rest on my shoulder and for a moment I felt his pain, I felt his guilt and his regret. Sirius Black was an innocent man. 

‘He will understand, if he’s still the same person that I went to school with, his patience is second to none and his compassion rivals the best of us.’ Sirius did his best to comfort me. I appreciated it. ‘You should go and find your brother. This is no place for someone like you.’

I wiped my tears and looked up at his now much kinder face. ‘It’s no place for you either, if I could help, I would. I can see you’re innocent.’

‘How?’

‘I can’t explain it. I went away to learn some things and now I can see things that I never used to. I can see people’s feelings, sometimes their thoughts and memories. It’s not so clear when I’m tired and I can’t quite grasp a hold of why, but what is clear to me, whatever you’re in here for, you didn’t do it.’

His sunken eyes began to water. ‘Thank you.’ He said and smiled. ‘You have no idea what it means to hear someone say it. Would it be too much to ask that you tell Remus? I feel he’s more likely to believe you than anyone.’

I frowned, thinking on how best to approach the subject. ‘I don’t think Remus will listen to me, like I said, I’ve broken too many promises… but I will try and do what I can, once I’ve made up for my mistakes.’ I promised, knowing it wouldn’t mean much, but it seemed to mean more to Sirius than I anticipated. 

‘Thank you, Angie Lockwood.’ Sirius smiled. ‘I will remember this.’

‘Me too.’

I handed him the newspaper, most of which was covered in Darren’s trial, but there may have been something of interest to him in the pages. He took it and nodded his thanks.

‘If it helps, I saw them taking a man who looks similar to your brother to the floor above this one. I can’t be sure that it was him, but you should check just in case.’

‘Thank you, Sirius.’ I said and struggled to my feet. Something suddenly occurred to me. ‘You’re an animagus.’

‘Yes.’

‘A dog.’ I nodded, Sirius wasn’t sure what I was getting at. ‘Dog’s are known for being especially loyal creatures.’

‘I suppose they are.’ Sirius smiled again and opened up the paper to begin reading.

I began heading towards the floor above the one I was on, I only had fifteen minutes to find Darren and get back to the entrance of Azkaban to get the Portkey away from this place. It was thick and dark and I needed to change back into my animagus just to find Darren’s cell.

He was gaunt, thin and nothing like the man I’d come to call brother, but then again, I couldn’t imagine I looked much better. I changed back into human form and brought out my wand.

‘Darren.’ I whispered, he was curled against the back of the cell, his eyes wide with fear and pain. ‘Darren, it’s me, it’s Angie.’

‘Angie.’ He breathed. ‘She will come, she will come, she will come.’ It was a mantra, one he clearly repeated to keep himself connected to reality. 

‘Darren.’ I said, much more firmly. ‘I’m here.’ I began assessing the charms on the cell and dismantling what I could. Darren began crawling towards me slowly. ‘Darren, I’m going to get you out of here.’

‘Help me, please.’ He begged. His bright blue eyes, bloodshot and sunken were pleading with me to do something. 

‘I am helping, Darren, you have to believe me, I am helping.’ I got down onto my knees and brought out the small bottle and the chocolate. ‘Here, drink this and try to rest while I get you out.’

His hands were shaking, but he did as he was told and drank the potion, curling against the door to the cell and watching me carefully remove the last few charms. The door swung open and by the time it had, Darren was on the verge of passing out. 

‘Darren, come on.’ I used any strength I may have had to lift his arm over my shoulder and took any weight I could, dragging him back past Black’s cell. Sirius was looking intently at the paper, he was entirely absorbed in what he was reading and I was glad to have at least given him a change to the usual atmosphere of Azkaban.

We made it just in time to the portkey, the rain was lashing down at the prison and made both of us slip just before grabbing a hold of the small wolf statue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse for not posting sooner, I apologise, but I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!


	24. What Have We Done?

Nothing could have sent Remus’s head into a tailspin quite as much as seeing George and Anna slowly move towards the kitchen door, both of them looking at something in the distance.

‘Is that…?’ Anna started, but George was already sprinting out of the house towards what Remus could now identify as two figures limping towards the house.

Before Remus knew what was happening, he was sprinting past George towards Angelina and Darren. Neither of them were strong enough to walk any further. Remus caught Angelina and George arrived in time to catch his son.

‘Angelina?’ Remus moved the hair away from her face and could see where the tears had dried. She just looked at the sunset, a small sigh escaping her lips and allowed her eyes to close at last. Remus lifted her into his arms and walked her back to the house behind George and David carrying Darren.

Remus felt all his emotions overcome him at once, he was so angry that she had just left like that, so filled with rage. He’d only left her alone for an hour to take Jocelyne and the children home, barely enough time for her to seriously consider her actions, but he knew that after what had happened with the minister, the only thing Remus could do was wait for her to come home.

Angelina always came home, no matter what, no matter what condition she was in, or what she needed to do to survive, she came home. 

George was in and out of their rooms, Lily made a visit and helped where she could, tending to any wounds Darren had and helping Remus keep her body strong. Remus felt entirely useless and he finally felt exhaustion getting the better of him. The full moon wasn’t that far away and his body was struggling to cope with the added pressure of Angelina.

‘You need to sleep.’ Lily finally said, seeing Remus almost falling asleep in his chair next to her bed. ‘The minister will be informed soon and when that happens, he will come here. Angelina won’t be able to deal with him if you’re not strong enough to help her get through.’

‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Remus.’ Lily didn’t take no for an answer. ‘Just for a few hours, sleep.’

He knew she was right and he wanted to do what was best for Angelina, but one thing kept nagging away at him. ‘She promised she wouldn’t leave again.’ He said, prompting Lily to step a little further into the bedroom. ‘She promised me that she would let me help her recover before she did anything rash.’

‘Maybe she was strong enough?’

‘Does this look like she was strong enough to do anything?’ Remus snapped, he took a calming breath and looked at Angelina’s fragile body sleeping softly in her bed. ‘She didn’t even say goodbye and she could have died.’

‘Remus, she didn’t die, not even close.’ Lily reasoned. ‘She survived that place because she loves you.’

‘Does she?’ The words escaped his mouth before he knew what he had said and soon the tears came streaming from his eyes. All Lily could do was hold him for a while.

 

George was struggling badly, Anna wasn’t much better, both of them feared the ministry turning up at their doorstep, something that Benji had forewarned them about. He’d sent a patronus to Anna telling her of Angelina’s plan to go to Azkaban for Darren and that he’d done what he could to help, but it may not have been enough. 

Every second that his children lay unconscious was a second he worried for his family’s survival, he would not be able to stop the minister from taking Darren away and Anna would lose everything all over again, their only hope was Angie. 

George couldn’t bear the thought that his daughter was being relied on so heavily by everyone around them, it was too much pressure for a single person to cope with, no matter how special they were. Lockwoods had always been capable of handling pressure, but this was getting out of hand and the less control George had over his family’s choices, the less he was able to protect them from the outside world.

‘How is he?’ Anna asked as George stepped into their bedroom, finally feeling able to get some rest. 

‘He’s doing better than expected,’ George sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands. ‘Darren should wake in a couple of days… Angie on the other hand…’ He didn’t know how best to explain.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I can’t tell if what I’m doing is helping or hindering, she just seems so different now.’ George turned to face his wife, looking at her tired and worried face. ‘I am worried that she has tampered with the brother in ways that cannot be reversed.’

Anna placed her soft hand against her husband’s cheek and gave a very tired half smile. ‘Angie is the answer, we have to put all of our faith in her. You know what the prophecy said about the-‘

‘I can’t. I can’t talk about this,’ George implored. ‘I cannot let this prophecy come true, not at the cost of one of my children. I won’t give them up.’

No more was said on the subject and soon George was lying next to his wife and finally getting a little peace back into his life.

 

I could hear it, the sound of five pairs of feet landing softly below the dark treeline just beyond my house. I felt my whole body surge with adrenaline, my eyes snapped open and slowly everything was coming into focus. It was dark outside, probably the middle of the night, but people were coming to the house, people who might have wanted to take Darren away from me. I couldn’t let them.

I turned to see Remus curled up next to me, he was exhausted, frail and so beautiful. ‘Remus.’ I whispered, I couldn’t feel my voice and it wasn’t nearly loud enough to wake Remus. I tried again and again until finally he stirred and opened his eyes. 

‘Angelina?’ He frowned, starting to wake up properly. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Someone is outside the house.’ I quickly explained. ‘I think they’re coming for Darren.’

‘Angelina, no one is coming for Darren in the middle of the night. It was just a dream.’ Remus shook his head and tried to adjust the quilt over me, but I needed him to understand.

‘I swear this isn’t a dream Remus, please just look outside and tell me if you can see any movement along the treeline. Please?’ I begged, I knew I couldn’t force him to do anything, we were living on a knife edge in every sense, I needed him to believe me of his own accord. 

Eventually Remus got out of bed and headed into my lab where he would have a clear view of the forest. I eased myself out of bed and found my jeans on the floor, trying to find the strength to put them on along with a jumper.

By the time Remus came back, I was just about dressed.

‘You were right, someone is coming.’ He panted, a little more worry lacing his words. ‘Who is it? What do we do?’

‘I have a good feeling about who it is, we need to wake my parents, I can’t do this alone.’ I explained and Remus helped me to my feet, handing me my wand. 

We woke my parents I quickly told them what was going on. The minister was coming to knock on our door, a move he might have lived to regret. 

Fudge was surrounded by four Aurors, including Benji and Kingsley. I was flanked by my parents, leaving Remus inside to keep watch over Darren. We strolled up to the magical boundary that was cast over our home and I took a breath trying to muster any strength I could. 

‘It’s a bit late for a social call, minister.’ I said and I felt my parents rolling their eyes behind me.

‘You know perfectly well why I am here.’ Fudge shot back. 

‘I told you I would get my brother back.’

‘You had no right-‘

‘I have the only right!’ I growled and took note of all four aurors taking a small step back. ‘I will not see my family’s name tainted by the likes of you.’ I took a breath and remembered Remus, he would want me to find a peaceful solution. ‘Now, I think we can both agree that my brother will not see the inside of Azkaban again, if you take him there again, I will simply take him back… I saw the inside of Azkaban and I walked straight to his cell and if I have to, I will do it again.’

‘And who else will you release during your next tantrum?’ The minister said, rather cockily. I frowned, what did he mean by that? ‘You didn’t just release your brother, did you? Were you trying to prove a point? Do you have any idea how dangerous he is?’

‘What is he talking about Angie?’ I heard my father ask, but truthfully I had no idea.

‘It’ll be in the papers tomorrow sure enough.’ Fudge paused a little dramatically. ‘Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban.’ I felt my whole face drop, it couldn’t have been a coincidence, how did he escape? Why now? What did I say? Was he coming to look for me? Or Remus? I could see the minister starting to look uncomfortable. ‘You didn’t know?’

I couldn’t say what it was that made me react the way I did, but nothing stopped the words flooding from my mouth. ‘Of course, I didn’t.’ I snapped. ‘You think I’d risk the safety of my family like that? I didn’t even see Black when I was in that place.’

The minister definitely believed me, with the way he shifted uncomfortably, I couldn’t say the same for my parents. 

‘Minister, if you rectify the damage you’ve done to my brother’s reputation, I will help you find Black.’ I offered and for a moment Fudge wasn’t convinced, I needed him to take this deal, he needed to think I was on his side. ‘Minister, I have no desire to create anymore of a divide, you once asked me to help you and I still stand by my word to do so, but you need to see the damage your mistrust is causing.’ He was close to changing his mind, I could feel it. ‘That village in Tibet has been overrun by Yetis, I plan on going back to make up for what I have done. I made a mistake and it’s my responsibility to do something about it. I’m asking you to do the same.’

He was there, his mind was changing, but he was making a show of pretending like it wasn’t, I let him have his moment. ‘Fine. I will do what I can.’

‘Thank you, minister.’ 

It was only after he disapparated with the Aurors that I felt my body weaken again, my parents catching me and helping me back inside the house as the sun came up. 

My father went about preparing some form of potion while my mother sat with me with a concerned look on her face. 

‘Darling,’ she said and I looked into her beautiful blue eyes. ‘You’re not really intending to go back to Tibet, are you?’ She asked and I really should have seen it coming.

‘I have to.’ I sighed and watched the pain flicker over her face. ‘Mum, people died because of me, I have to do what I can to fix that.’

She didn’t speak for a moment, but soon it was painful to watch her hold back the tears. ‘Okay.’ She said and left the kitchen table, heading back upstairs to bed. My father placed a mug with some form of liquid in next to me and I automatically drank it.

‘Angie, I want you to think about what you’ve just said to your mother. I want you to try to understand the pain you have just caused her.’

I had never heard my father sound so disappointed before, it was like a whip across my chest, what had I done?

 

Remus couldn’t stay at the house any longer, the full moon was coming and he was finding it difficult to get around. Lily promised she would make a visit to the Lockwood house and make sure Angelina rested and Darren continued to recover. 

‘Angelina?’ Remus whispered, watching her watery blue eyes flutter open. He could see her beautiful smile trying to make an appearance and for a moment he forgot why he was angry. ‘I’m heading back to the school, the moon will be up tomorrow and I need to rest.’ He brushed his finger through her soft blonde hair, noting how she tried to lean into his touch. ‘Will you be okay for a few days without me?’

‘I’ll be okay.’ She croaked. ‘I’ll make sure I rest as well, I won’t break another promise to you.’ Remus just watched her for a while, gently stroking her soft skin until she went back to sleep. They had so much to talk about, so much to repair and so much to figure out. 

He made a quick visit to Darren who was awake and looking much better than he did when he first made it back from Azkaban. It suddenly occurred to Remus that he had yet to see or hear from Clara since this whole thing started. Why wasn’t she with her fiancée? Surely he would do better with her around?

‘Well, with the full moon coming up, she can hardly be blamed for staying away.’ George said, as Remus descended the stairs, gathering his green-grey jacket. ‘I’m sure she’s staying safe and I’m sure she is doing so at the request of my son, something I hoped you would do at Angie’s request.’

‘George, you know I couldn’t just sit by.’

Remus watched the aging Healer sigh and physically deflate over his kitchen counter. ‘I know and that’s what worries me… you should go. Get some rest, you’ll need your strength for Angie.’

Remus didn’t get a chance to ask what George meant, before he disappeared upstairs to check on his children. Remus made his way back to Hogwarts, feeling greasy from the heat of the sun and taking a shower the second he could. He decided to write a letter to Clara and find out what was going on, why hadn’t she shown more concern for Darren and Angie? And where was she? Where was anyone?

‘Remus!’ McGonagall came bursting through the door of his office, startling him slightly. She looked a little dishevelled and very worried about something. ‘Have you seen this?’ She was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, he could just about see the front page and his heart dropped.

Remus turned the paper towards himself and read the bold black words. “ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN”. He felt his entire being go into freefall, what had Angelina done?


End file.
